Irresistible
by RachyDoodle
Summary: In the great power struggle between Cena and The Authority, Cena's half sister becomes the most recent casualty. With John unable to get her back, he sends the ultimate stable to rescue her... The Shield. But with more than one faction member vying for her affections, can they bring her home safely or will love get in their way? AU
1. Prologue

**Hey everyone!**

 **Heres a new story for you. This is my first venture into WWE fanfiction so I hope you enjoy. It involves my favourite faction, The Shield, and I'm quite excited for this story.**

 **Enjoy the prologue! Normal chapters will be longer**

 **Disclaimer: WWE aint mine.**

* * *

Loneliness was a curse.

For some it was a joy, something people craved. Their own thoughts and feelings and wants. Loneliness could be pure heaven for some. A haven.

But for others, people like me, it was hell. It was isolation, remoteness, seclusion. It was being parted from those you loved and also from reality. It was the fear of facing a future with no one but yourself. It was the dread of never being found.

A single tear fell from my eyes as I drew my knees up to my chest, my arms clasped around my legs.

Loneliness was a sorry feeling, but I was feeling it all the same.

The cell where they kept me, it was cold, dank and dark. A mattress sat in one corner, a toilet in the other. The floor, walls and ceiling were made of cold harsh stone, a wooden door being my only escape. A small window stood at the top of the door, allowing _them_ to see me…

The Authority.

My captors.

The cruel and vicious group that had taken me captive, all for their sorry affairs. For their sorry revenge.

They hated my brother. There had always been a great rivalry between them and John. A power struggle both fought to win. One of them was always on top, the other striving to knock them back off. But my brother was on the side of good. He wanted to better the world, fill it with hustle, loyalty, respect.

But the Authority was cruel. Ruled by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, the only people they looked out for were themselves. Even half their employees weren't safe.

And with John on top, the Authority needed to get that power back. So they took me, his little sister, hitting John right in the place where it would hurt the most. I was brought here, trapped in their headquarters, their little bargaining tool.

If John wanted me back, he had to give them the power. He had to let them win.

John had to lose.

I wiped my nose.

John never lost, not without a good fight first. I loved this about him. His spirit, the way he fought for what was right and good. He was a strong man, a good man, and I knew he would stop at nothing to get me away from this place.

The sound of the door opening brought me from my thoughts. I looked up to see a small man I knew to be called Jamie Noble enter my cell. He simply put down a plate of food and a glass of water before leaving, locking the door behind him.

I clambered to the plate as quickly as I could, my rumbling stomach indicating I was starving. I wasn't fed well, just enough to sustain me. I practically inhaled the two slices of bread I had been given and swallowed all the water before returning to my previous position on the floor.

After two weeks of being here I was used to it.

John had enough on his plate without the Authority doing this. His girlfriend, Nikki was unwell, and he was having to put up with other enemies too, all vying for his power. Dealing with this too meant I knew it may be a while before I was out of here…

BANG!

A massive thud caused the door to rattle as what sounded like a body fell against it from the other side of the wall. I gasped, hearing screams and cries.

The sound from Kane, one of the Authority henchman was soon silenced as fighting rang through my room. I stood up, standing on my tiptoes to try and see the commotion through the gap in my door. It was far too tall so I stood back. The noises from the other side of my cell were horrifying. What was out there?

I let out a tiny scream as my door began to vibrate. BANG, BANG, BANG.

 _Wait… someone's kicking through…_

I held my breath. This was it. Had Triple H and Stephanie finally decided to just get rid of me for good? It would be the ultimate way to destroy John, kill his little sister. I knew they were sinister but could they be capable of this?

I retreated against the far wall as the door finally burst open. What I saw, I did not expect.

Authority henchman lay unconscious on the floor, none of them moving as three men entered my room.

One had short brown hair, his body twitching from the fight, a look of craziness in his eyes. Another was tall with a darker complexion, his long hair falling around his tattooed shoulders. The final one had shoulder length hair, blonde and brown, a beard on his face.

I blinked, scanning them all in shock.

"Lily Watson?" the one with blonde and brown hair asked.

I nodded, my body trembling. "Y-Yes?"

He smiled. "We're The Shield. We're here to save you…"


	2. Safe and Sound

**Hey guys! Another day, another chapter.**

 **Thanks for the favourites and follows of the last chapter. This one will be far longer, so don't forget to review! I'm excited to share this story with you.**

 **This chapter is named after 'Safe and Sound' by Taylor Swift.**

 **Disclaimer: WWE isn't mine.**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point of View

"The who…?" I asked, wrapping my arms around my body protectively, my eyes constantly being drawn to the unconscious bodies at the feet of these three men. Fear and uncertainty were the first emotions to hit me.

People who could leave such a large group of men completely capacitated and destroyed were not to be taken lightly. I naturally backed up defensively till my back hit the far wall of my cold cell.

I swallowed as they slowly entered my cell behind me, taking cautious and gentle steps towards me, my eyes never leaving them.

 _Never turn your back on your enemy…_

That's what John had always taught me.

And he knew only too well what could happen to you if you did. It was the whole reason I was in The Authority's hands in the first place. I would not make that same mistake again. Yes, I was clearly outnumbered and the chances of me beating these three guys on my own after witnessing the destruction they'd just caused by themselves was practically zero.

But hell, I was still gonna take my half-brother's advice and keep them within sight.

The one with blonde and brown hair spoke again, carefully offering me his hand.

"The Shield. I know this may be very overwhelming but you have to trust us. We have come here especially for you, to get you out of here."

"But… but…"

I was lost for words.

A part of me didn't believe them. This was surely an Authority trick, a rouse to lure me into a false sense of security, only for them to lead me to torture or hurt. Another way to physically hurt me and a way to emotionally hurt John. I looked at these men; their black attire and protective vests didn't exactly look like good-guy gear.

But another part of me wanted to believe them. I wanted to believe that these three total strangers were here to help some girl they had never met and bring her to safety, away from the hold of Triple H and Stephanie. As crazy as it sounded, I had to hold out some hope. My eyes looked down yet again to the piles of bodies outside.

Surely the Authority would not trick me to the point where so many men would be injured. Even they weren't that cruel… Surely…

The one with short brown hair suddenly ran to the door, looking out.

"Her questions will have to be answered later, Seth," he said. "They're sending back up."

Footsteps sounded in the distance.

The one called Seth nodded, reaching his hand out again. "Please. You need to trust us. Please. I can explain more later but for now we need to leave."

The long haired tanned guy went out to meet the short haired one, stretching out his arms.

"Let's see how many we can take down," he smirked. "Loser buys the beers."

The short haired one sneered in amusement. "Deal."

The sound of footsteps and reinforcements caused my heart to thump in my chest so loud that I'm surprised these guys couldn't hear it.

Fear took over my body in that moment and I knew I had to trust these guys.

I had two options; stay and face yet more threat and hurt from The Authority until I either dead or simply gave up on living. Or follow these strangers who seemed to want to help.

Out the two choices, this one by far seemed the better option.

"Okay." I took Seth's hand.

"Good choice." He smiled and slowly dragged me to the door of my cell, reaching the others. "We need a clear path out of here. They're gonna be after her."

"Piece of cake," the short haired one said, twitching his neck, poised for a fight. He smirked and licked his lips in a sadistic way as more men approached. He almost frightened me a little, but I knew these men wanted to help. "I fucking love a fight."

The footsteps finally reached the corridor we were in. Ten men stood before us, angry and ready to fight. They were led by an eleventh man, the tallest man I had ever seen.

The tanned long hair man chuckled. "Well hey there, Big Show, they still employing you? Didn't know The Authority was such a big fan of fossils."

The short hair man laughed, hitting his fist against the long haired man's in a brotherly way.

The Big Show growled. "What are you three doing here?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious," Seth said as he pushed me behind his body protectively. "Causing trouble of course."

The Big Show looked at the men laying lifeless on the floor and sneered. "I guess we better give you some trouble of our own to help you out then."

I gasped as all eleven men ran towards us. Instinctively, Seth pushed me back into the cell as he prepared to fight. The short haired man ran towards them like a lunatic, punching three of them in a row to the floor. Seth began to kick any that came in his way, whilst the long haired man, who was the tallest of the three, went for The Big Show. Loading his fist, he gave him a vicious punch straight to the face, knocking the seven foot giant straight to the floor. My eyes widened as he fell with a load thud.

 _Holy shit…_

However, one of the other ten men had slipped into my cell during the commotion. He sneered at me menacingly as he approached. I balled my hands up into a fist as he approached, ready to take him on. I swung a punch but he blocked it, kicking low and knocking me to the floor. I fell, my ankle twisting in excruciating pain.

"Ahhh…"

I cried out, drawing the attention of the long haired man. He ran straight at our enemy, leaping and hitting him and what can only be described as a spear. They fell right to the ground, the other man completely unconscious.

"Wow…" I murmured, clutching at my ankle.

With Seth and the short haired man clearing the rest of them, the long haired man came towards me. I was frozen to the floor in awe at his size.

"Roman Reigns, nice to meet you," he smiled. He completely towered over me, his size and muscles very intimidating. I let out a tiny squeak as he suddenly picked me up and put me on his back piggy-back style. "Sorry, sweetheart," he said. "We need to get out of here quick, and no offence but that ankle of yours is gonna slow us right down. So hold on tight."

We left the cell, meeting the others, more bodies on the floor. These three were unbelievable. How three men could single handedly take out this many people was astonishing.

Seth looked up at me on Roman's back and frowned. "She okay?"

"Twisted ankle," Roman replied, hoisting me better onto his back. "One of the bastards got to her before I could stop him."

The short haired man ran to the end of the corridor.

"How is it, Dean?" Seth asked.

"Clear," Dean replied. "No one in sight."

I knew this wouldn't last long. The Authority knew I had been compromised, and half their men were on the floor. Back up would soon arrive.

"We need to leave now," Seth said urgently. "Whilst we still can."

Roman nodded and we made our way through the corridors. I didn't know how big The Authority building was, but it seemed like hours before we made our way anywhere near an exit. It worried me how well these guys knew the layout of the building as they had no issue with the directions they were going in.

But they had helped me this far, I knew I had to trust them somehow.

I clung to Roman's shoulders tighter as we neared an exit. But we were blocked off as Kane arrived, still battered and bruised from earlier. His anger made his face red, his body heaving in angry breathes.

"GIVE HER BACK!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice booming and echoing throughout the room, his hands balled into fists.

Dean smirked. "Oh yeah, because we're gonna give her up that easily." And before Kane had time to respond, Dean was on him, punching him till he fell to the ground. Seth ran up behind them, jumping and pushing his foot down till Kane's head hit the ground.

I felt Roman laugh below me. "Curb stomp. Nice!"

I couldn't help but smile as Kane lay lifeless in front of the exit. Without speaking, we all left the building, bursting through the door and exiting down the long driveway before us.

My eyes squinted in the daylight as we ran and it occurred to me that I had not seen daylight since I'd been brought here. The breeze blew my hair around my face as the sunlight hit my skin for the first time in weeks. It felt good, refreshing, reviving.

"You okay up there?" Roman asked as we ran.

"I'm good," I responded, unable to keep the smile out of my voice. It was the first time I'd felt freedom in weeks. I felt on top of the world.

We continued to run until we reached a black Land Rover that was waiting for us. It was hidden behind a group of trees and was completely empty. It was unlocked and Roman swiftly slid me into the back seat, following me in. Dean ran to the passenger seat whilst Seth got into the driver's side. Before I had time to blink he had put the car into gear and we were out of sight driving down the road, the building getting smaller in the distance.

 _Holy shit… I was free…_

I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding as I let wet tears fall down my face.

I couldn't believe it. I was out of there, that hell hole was gone. My prison, my captors, they were slowly fading into the background as we drove until they were completely out of sight. My heart pounded as euphoria hit me. I wiped away my tears of happiness, my whole body in shock.

"Piece of fucking cake!" Dean laughed. "Was Big Show and Kane seriously the best they had?"

"We're not out of the woods yet," Seth said, constantly checking his mirrors to make sure we weren't being followed. We weren't. "Not till we're at the safe house."

"Safe house?" I asked, confused. No, I wanted to go back to John.

"The first place they will look for you will be your brother," Seth replied. _John?_ They knew about John… Had he sent them to rescue me? "We need to let the dust settle, keep you hidden and out of sight until we know it's safe to return you."

"Plus we need to get that ankle of yours looked at," Roman added.

 _Of course!_

I looked down at my ankle as it began to throb. He was right. I'd be useless if I couldn't walk, and these guys couldn't exactly carry me the whole time.

"Let get there asap," Dean said. "I'm starving."

Seth put his foot down and we started to move faster. I leant back in my seat, gazing at the three men before me.

Seth… Dean… Roman…

Three complete and intimidating strangers who had taken out half a company to rescue me. They'd beaten guys up, carried me, risked their lives and the wrath of The Authority to keep me safe. They knew me, they knew John, and they knew The Authority too.

Just who the hell were these men…?

Who were The Shield…?


	3. The Story

**Hey, guys!**

 **Hope you guys liked the last chapter. A big thanks to those who favourited and followed this little story. Reviews would be wonderful as I love to hear feedback to see how I'm doing and what you guys would like to see in this story. So if you could leave a review then that would be great (:**

 **This chapter is named after 'The Story' by 30 Seconds To Mars**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point of View

We drove for a good three hours before we reached the safe house Seth had mentioned. As the sun set, the Land Rover had turned from the road and onto a woodland covered dirt track. He slowed his speed as we made our way through the wilderness, carefully manoeuvring around the trees.

I struggled to keep my eyes open and my mind was groggy, not just from the long ride, but also from my throbbing ankle. I hoped it wasn't a clean break, hopefully it was simply bruised or sprained. The faster it could heal, the better.

A radio station played quietly in the back ground, some rock music Dean had decided to put on as tree after tree passed us. The monotonous passing of the woodland almost sent me off to sleep until the car suddenly breaked, jolting me and livening me up again.

I looked out the window of the car to see a small wooden cabin standing in the middle of the trees, totally isolated. I had to admit, this safe house was pretty inconspicuous and out of the way.

The Authority would have a hard time finding us here.

The engine was cut and the three men got out of the car. It was Seth who came for me this time, opening my door and carrying me out bridal style. I clung to him tightly.

"How's the ankle?" he asked as we approached the cabin, Dean pulling out a key and opening the door.

"Sore," I replied. "It hasn't stopped throbbing the whole time we've been moving."

He shook his head as we made our way inside. "Don't worry, we'll fix it up."

The cabin, though small, was very quaint and homely inside. It was completely open plan, the living room, dining room, and kitchen all laid out before us. Three doors stood at the far side of the room, containing two bedrooms and a bathroom, whilst a small staircase lead to a balconied floor which had a sofa and several bookshelves. A large log fire stood in the living room, which Dean proceeded to light.

Seth set me on the living room sofa as Roman searched through one of the kitchen cupboards. He eventually pulled out a first aid box and knelt before me.

"We need to see how bad the damage is," he told me.

He gently poked and prodded my ankle in several places with his soft warm fingers, assessing where the damage was and to what extent my ankle was injured. I winced in a few places, finding his fingers eased the pain in others.

"Does it hurt there?" he asked, looking at me, gently squeezing.

"A little," I answered, gritting my teeth. "Not as bad as before."

"How about here?" He touched a different spot.

"Yes, but not as bad as the first spot."

He nodded, turning to the first aid box, his hair falling over his eyes. He pulled out a tube of cream and some white bandages, brushing his hair back.

"Seems like it's a bit bruised," he said. "I'll apply some pain relief cream and bandage it up. Should be good in a day or too."

I let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness for that. The last thing I needed was a broken ankle. What with being on the run and most likely unable to visit a hospital, a broken ankle would have been the last thing we needed. At least with a bruise it would heal in a few days and I could be mobile and ready to move should The Authority seek us out.

He squeezed some of the white pain relief cream onto his hands and began massaging it into the skin, his warm and long fingers caressing my ankle. God, it felt so good, the cream getting to work immediately. I let out a gentle and involuntary moan, Roman smirking as he continued to apply the ointment.

I blushed profusely, covering my face.

"Don't worry," he said, amusement in his face. "Its good stuff, I'm the same when I wear it."

That eased my embarrassment a little.

 _Way to go, Lily! Way to sound like a complete and utter idiot!_

"Though that's the first time I've heard anyone make that noise over it." He winked.

And my red face made an unwelcome return.

Once the cream had absorbed into my skin, he proceeded to wrap the bandage around my ankle until it was completely covered.

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Now make sure to keep it elevated and still," he replied, standing up and heading over to Seth in the kitchen. "What you cooking, buddy?"

"Pasta," Seth answered. "Its all we have for now."

"Pasta?" Dean answered from by the fireplace. He had finally gotten it lit. "Pasta is bland. We got nothing good? Pizza? Chicken? Anything?"

"I guess I forgot to go food shopping before we came here," Seth said sarcastically. "There isn't a menu, Ambrose."

Dean huffed. "Remind me to order Chinese food next time we're out here."

Seth smirked and looked at me. "Pasta okay, Lily?"

I nodded. "Pasta is good." I sort of agreed with Dean, pasta was as bland as hell. But in a situation like this, we couldn't afford to be picky. Food was food and we had to take what we could get.

Dean made two glasses of water before sitting himself on the sofa beside me, handing me a glass.

"Beer would have been better," he said. "And whiskey would have been the best. But I guess water is all we have to celebrate." He lifted his glass. "To your freedom, cheers." He clinked out glasses together and downed the entire contents.

"Cheers," I replied, sipping on my water, looking at the three men in front of me, assessing them one by one.

The Shield.

Seth was tall, his black shirt covering his muscles like a second skin, his hair just above his shoulders, half brown, half blonde. He was certainly handsome, they all were, his beard giving him a sort of rugged look.

Dean too looked very toned, his sleeveless shirt showing off his abs. all three men looked as if they worked out if I was honest. His short brown hair and pale skin made him look different from the others, but his blue eyes made him look completely menacing.

And then there was Roman, tall, tanned and covered in tattoos, his long hair falling down his back. He was the tallest and most striking of the three, his piercing grey eyes standing out from his bearded face.

Leaving the pasta to boil, Seth and Roman joined us, each taking an arm chair. I swallowed, intimidated by their mere presence.

They all had to be over 6 foot tall, all late 20s. They towered over me, 5 foot 3, and 24 years old. I felt like a small lamb trapped in a cage with three ferocious lions.

Yes, I was beyond grateful that they had saved me and broken me free from The Authority's grasp. But what their motives were, I did not know.

I decided to address the elephant in the room…

"So who exactly are you guys…?" I asked timidly, my fingers clutching at my glass.

Seth smiled to himself. "I was waiting for that question. We are Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns." He pointed to each member in turn.

"The Shield," Roman continued. "We're a special ops team, focusing on rescue and recovery."

"We had a little call from your brother," Seth said. "He needed our help."

John! They knew John. So he was the reason they were here. I smiled to myself. I knew my brother wouldn't let me down, he never had and he never would.

"So enter the three of us," Dean smirked. "Took the job immediately, anything to get back at The Authority."

I blinked. "You know them?"

Seth chuckled. "Lets just say we've had run ins with them many times before. We don't exactly see eye to eye."

"But what's in it for you guys?" I asked. "What do you get out of rescuing me."

"Money," Roman said matter of factly.

"And a way to give a massive 'fuck you' to The Authority," Dean sniggered.

I nodded at their bluntness. At least they were truthful. And this was their job after all.

But I wondered what their issue with The Authority was. It was clear they hated them as much as my brother did, but their motives against them were not clear. Had they been hurt by them? Had bad business with them? Or just a general hatred?

I didn't pry, it wasn't my business. And if they wished to tell me then they would. For now I was happy to relax and simply be grateful to them for getting me out of The Authority's grasp.

"And when can I go back to John?" I questioned. I wanted nothing more than to be with my brother.

"Once the dust settles," Seth replied. "The Authority are out there looking for you as we speak. You're their biggest bargaining tool and hostage. The first place they will check is wherever your brother is. We need to keep you out of harms way long enough for them to stop looking for you."

I looked at the crackling fire. As much as I didn't want to admit it, their plan made perfect sense. Capture was the last thing I needed, especially this soon after being granted freedom. I would return to my brother soon. If I had to hide in the meantime, so be it.

I nodded sadly and finished my water. "Makes sense."

Sensing my slight melancholy, Roman spoke. "Don't worry, you'll be home soon." He smiled.

"I know," I answered. "I've just had a busy twenty four hours."

"You and me both, kiddo," Dean said, standing up. "I wanna eat dinner then go the fuck to sleep. I'm exhausted."

An unexpected yawn emerged from my mouth and I found that I agreed with him. Sleep sounded amazing.

We quickly ate up dinner before retiring to bed.

"Lily can have one bedroom. Who gets the other?" Roman asked.

"Me," Dean said.

"Why you?" asked Seth. "Maybe I want it."

"Because I said so." And before anyone had time to respond, Dean entered the second bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Roman laughed. "Ambrose it is then! Looks like we have the two sofas, Seth."

I smiled as Seth helped me up, carrying me into the other bedroom. He pulled back the covers and set me into the bed, covering me back up, tucking me in.

"You gonna be okay in here tonight, Lily?" he asked.

I nodded, settling into the bed comfortably. "I'll be fine. Thank you."

"Good," he said, stroking my hair once and moving to the door, switching the light off. "We're here if you need us. Sleep well."

"You too, Seth," I replied as he started to close the door.

I was asleep before it had shut.


	4. Propane Nightmares

**Hey, folks! Another day, another chapter.**

 **This chapter is named after 'Propane Nightmares' by Pendulum.**

 **Disclaimer: WWE isn't mine!**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point of View

The park near John's Florida mansion was always so beautiful this time of year. The trees were filled with luscious green leaves, the grass long and warm beneath my feet. A little stream trickled through the grass, the bright sunshine illuminating the running water. You could see the tiny tadpoles swimming around, summer in full swing.

My favourite thing to do on days where the sun was at its highest was to visit the park and settle myself under one of the trees, a book in hand. I always hated getting under the feet of John and his girlfriend, Nikki, so I'd often make myself scarce, giving them their private time but also allowing myself some me time too.

I was in that park on the day it all happened…

 _I'd taken my favourite book, Pride and Prejudice, and a bottle of water and settled myself under the tallest oak tree, my favourite tree. The breeze blew gently around my hair as I leant back against the wooden bark and opened up my book. I curled my bare toes up against the warm grass, enjoying the summer sunshine. The park was fairly empty for the time of year, but I didn't mind. It meant more peace and solitude for me._

 _I'd been reading for a good half hour when the sun reflecting on the pages of my book turned to shade. I looked up, squinting through the sunshine to see a tall man standing before me. He was well built, a buzz cut upon his head, a smile on his lips._

" _Can I help you?" I asked politely. The park was huge, perhaps he had gotten lost._

" _The name is Randy. I was just curious if you could help me, I'm meeting a girl here, I was told that she liked to relax by the old oak tree."_

 _I frowned, standing up. "This… This is the old oak tree."_

 _His smile then turned into a smirk, a dark and sinister smirk of realisation. "I see. Lily Watson?"_

 _I took a step back. "Yes…? Who's asking?"_

" _Perfect."_

 _The world went blank as he attacked me with a move I eventually learnt was called an R.K.O…_

I gasped, sitting upright in my bed, sweat pouring from my body, my cheat heaving with heavy breaths.

"Fucking nightmares…" I whispered to myself.

I'd had the same one almost every night since I'd been taken, my warped mind reliving the moment I had been kidnapped again and again. I clutched at my chest, shaking my t-shirt to try and fan some air to cool myself. I brushed my bangs back from my forehead as my breathing slowly regulated itself to a normal and healthy speed.

I familiarised myself with the bedroom I was in, instantly recognising I was still safe and sound in the safehouse and not in my cell. I threw back the covers and stood up, immediately wanting a cool glass of water, needing to cool down.

I opened the door slowly, noticing Roman fast asleep on the living room sofa, realising Seth must have been on the sofa up on the balcony. Not wanting to wake anyone, I tiptoed and limped to the kitchen area as best as I could with my bad ankle, using the moonlight and dying embers of the fireplace to guide me.

Making it safely to the kitchen, I found myself a clean glass and filled it with water, downing its contents and refilling again, sipping the water this time. Its coolness helped.

The memory of Randy Orton attacking and taking me was one I'd never forget for the rest of my life, the impact of his attack causing me to black. Once I'd awakened from it, I had been in the cell where The Shield had found me. It had been my home in the weeks I'd been with The Authority.

Orton had known exactly where I would be so the kidnap was clearly premeditated, and it frightened me that they had obviously done their research and watched me before. How else would they know that it was my tree unless they'd been spying?

I sighed, placing the glass back on the counter, only for it to smash on the floor. I'd missed in my thoughtful haze.

Roman immediately bolted upright, completely awake and alert. He growled, his face turning in my direction. I immediately wished for sunlight or lamplight as he charged towards me.

 _Fuck…_

"Roman!" I screamed, partly out of fear that I would be attacked by someone yet again, and partly to alert him to the fact it was me. His eyes widened, his momentum too fast to stop. He changed direction, the spear he was aiming at me turning into a forward roll to my left. He landed in a crouch, getting straight to his feet. I clutched at my chest again, my heart in my throat.

"Fuck, Lily. Are you okay?" he asked, grabbing my shoulders and checking my face over. "I almost hit you. What the hell were you doing?!"

"G-Getting a glass of water," I stuttered, letting my breathing get back to normal. "I had a nightmare."

He sighed and let me go, pouring a fresh glass of water and handing it to me. "You need to be more careful. I thought you were an intruder."

"Sorry," I whispered meekly, sipping on the water. God, my nerves had been shot to shit these past few weeks.

Roman ran a hand through his hair and offered me a comforting smile. "It's okay. I'm sorry I scared you. That spear could have been pretty full on."

I nodded, memories of Randy's R.K.O filling my mind. "I'm alright, just need to calm down."

"Must have been a pretty bad nightmare," he said, folding his arms and leaning against the kitchen counter. His tone told me that he wanted me to elaborate.

"The worst," I replied, offering him a small smile. It wasn't something I was ready to share yet. I'd hardly known these men 24 hours.

He nodded, unfolding his arms. "I gotcha. If you wanna discuss nightmares, I suggest you talk to Dean. He gets them quite regularly himself."

I looked at him, bearing that information in mind, not prying about Dean's problems and Roman hadn't pried too much about mine.

I finished my water, placing the glass on the counter properly this time. "I better get back to sleep."

I stepped forward, heading back to my room.

"Stop!" He cried and I froze myself to the spot, not sure what to do. He smiled. "You were about to tread on broken glass there, kiddo. Gotta be careful."

I looked down, seeing the shards of broken glass shining in the moonlight. I put my feet back to where they were. "I don't want broken feet to match my bruised ankle."

"No you don't," he laughed, walking round and picking me up bridle style. "So let's get you back to bed in one piece. It's like your attracted to trouble."

I leant into him as he carried me, his skin soft and warm, his body big and protective. "What about the glass?" I looked up at him.

"I'll take care of it," he replied. "Rescue and protection, that's what The Shield does… plus a bit of light cleaning too."

I smiled, leaning back into him. "I'll remember that next time we cook pasta and it's still waiting to be washed in the sink."

"Hey, Seth wanted to cook pasta, Seth can clean it up!" I laughed as he took me into my room and put me into my bed, placing me under the covers. "Now stay in your bed, kiddo. No more scaring me into late night spears, okay?"

I nodded. "Nobody wants that."

"You'd be surprised. Many women have liked my spear in the past."

He winked, my face blushing a bright red.

 _Roman Reigns, you dirty dog…_

"I'm s-sure they have," I stuttered.

He chuckled lightly. "Sleep now. See you in the morning, Lily."

"Night, Roman," I replied, settling into the covers. He left the room, closing the door behind him.

I closed my eyes, a smile on my face.

Yeah… These Shield guys seemed pretty cool.

* * *

 **A massive thanks to Bajor10 for reviewing the last chapter. Please don't forget to review. I love hearing your feedback and knowing what you all think (: And after this week's Game of Thrones finale and this year's MITB winner, I need reviews to cheer me up!**


	5. Only Girl In The World

**Hello! A massive welcome back to Irresistible. Hope you are all enjoying it so far. Thank you so much for all the favourites and follows so far.**

 **Lets get to know the Lunatic Fringe a little better, shall we?**

 **This chapter is named after 'Only Girl In The World' by Rihanna.**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point of View

My ankle felt considerably better when I awoke the next morning. Roman had been right – that pain relief cream was good stuff! I stretched my body out and rubbed my eyes as I allowed my body to wake up.

I'd slept soundly after returning to bed the previous night, the nightmares hadn't made an unwelcome visit thankfully. I felt well rested and ready for the day.

Dean was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when I entered the main living area. He was frying eggs and bacon and the smell made my mouth completely water. It had been so long such I'd had a decent meal that didn't consist of tasteless food like bread or pasta. So my feelings of excitement were an understatement.

"Smells amazing," I smiled as I approached Dean. I couldn't stop sniffing the air.

"I knew there was decent food in this place," Dean smirked as he fried some eggs. "Be prepared for the best breakfast of your life."

I sat myself up on the counter. "Any food is the best food of my life since leaving that horrible place."

"True enough, but this food will blow your mind," Dean said.

"Will it be as good as my brother's girlfriend's?" I questioned. "Nikki makes a mean breakfast."

He looked to me. "Well clearly you've ever had breakfast-a-la-Ambrose. This is gonna blow your mind."

He went to a cupboard, pulling out two plates. I looked around the cabin, frowning as I noticed we were alone. "Where are Roman and Seth?"

"Outside sparring," he replied as he plated up the food. "They ate earlier so they figured they'd get some early morning training in." I looked outside and sure enough that's where they were, Roman holding Seth in a headlock as Seth tried to escape it.

"You guys spar?" I looked around in the many draws in the kitchen until I found the cutlery. I pulled out two knives and two forks.

"Course we do. Gotta keep the training up, The Authority could hit at any moment. Plus it's good to take the beatings, keeps up our strength and resilience." He handed me a plate and we both made out way to the dining table.

"Damn this is good," I noted as I took my first bite of food. The flavours filled my mouth, hitting every taste bud. It fell down my throat smoothly before I took a second bite. There was nothing like a bit of greasy food to perk a girl up.

Dean smirked as he ate. "Told ya."

I laughed. "Okay, smart ass. Yours is way better than Nikki's. I admit it."

"Never doubted myself for a second," he said as he cleared his plate of food swiftly, myself quickly following.

He was right though – this breakfast was way better than Nikki's!

We took our plates to the sink. "I'll wash, you dry?" I asked.

"Well since you agreed that my food was better, I can agree to that," Dean replied, picking up a towel.

Whilst washing all the breakfast things and the plates and saucepans from the previous night, I decided to breach the nightmare subject with Dean. Roman had suggested it last night, and if it would help keep the bad dreams at bay, I was more than willing to try anything. Of all three men, Dean seemed the most on edge and the most distant, so I wasn't sure how he'd feel about opening up and offering me advice.

But I was willing to try.

I bit my lip as I swirled the sponge around the plate. "So I was talking to Roman last night…"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Erm… I've been having some nightmares as of late, and he… he suggested I talk to you about it?" It came out as more of a question than a statement.

Dean smiled to himself. "Course he did."

"He mentioned you have them too so perhaps I talk to you about it. See if you know a way to get rid of them."

He put the towel down and looked at me, his eyes dark. His whole persona changed. "Sweetheart, I've been having them for over a year. There's fuck all I can do. How am I supposed to help you when I can't help myself?" He moved then into the living area and took a seat on one of the arm chairs, folding his arms, staring into space.

 _Fuck… he's pissed._

Had I broached a subject that was a step too far?

I put the washing up down and cautiously followed him into the living area, seating myself on the sofa. I placed my hands into my lap, fidgeting with my fingers. "Sorry… I didn't mean to upset you."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. I didn't mean to come off so cold, you weren't to know. It's just a touchy subject for me."

"I didn't realise," I whispered.

"I don't really talk about it a lot." His eyes had a far off look again. "It takes me back to a bad place."

I looked at him. "How about we share? I can tell you about mine, and if you feel comfortable, you can share too."

He nodded thoughtfully. "That could work, I guess."

I let out a relieved breath. It was a step forward. Not only did he seem less hostile but perhaps we could assist each other here. I'd only had these nightmares a few weeks, but Dean had been having them for a year. If he could help me, I could certainly help him.

"It happens almost every night," I began. "I relive the moment I was taken, every last detail flashing before my eyes. The loneliness, the fear, the pain…"

"Pain?" he asked.

"Yeah, I got a full blown R.K.O from Randy Orton. It knocked me out for days."

"Dirty son of a bitch," he mumbled under his breath. "Never did like that guy."

 _Did they know each other…?_

"He surrounded me, lured me in before attacking me. I'd never been so terrified in my life." I looked to Dean. "Hurts as much now as it did that first time. I'm just scared it'll happen again."

He smiled at me. "You never have to worry about that, kid. No one will get you whilst we're around."

"I used to think that with John," I said. "I always felt so safe around him, like nothing could get me. And even though he had all these enemies, he'd never let me get hurt. But I did."

Dean looked at me thoughtfully. "The day they got you, you were alone, right?" I nodded at him. "And what's the first thing John did when he heard you were taken?"

"Sent you guys to get me," I responded.

"Exactly. Even though he couldn't keep you safe once, he put a plan into action straight away to keep you safe once again. And John is just one man, now you have three looking out for you. And we know The Authority better than anyone. We'll protect you."

I frowned. "You know them?"

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his head. "The guys and I… we're ex-Authority."

 _What?_

My eyes widened and I found myself retreating a little. Ex-Authority? What the fuck? They'd kept that little bit of information quiet. What the hell was my brother thinking hiring men who used to work for these monsters to save me?

But then it dawned on me. They were _ex_ -Authority. They were no longer on the wrong side. I suppose an old employee would be the one to know their employer the best. But what had happened to change their minds and leave the vile group?

"You… used to work for them?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "The prime words there being _used to_. We'd never work for those bastards again, not as long as we live." His eyes darkened as his mind wandered.

"Why?"

And with that simple question, I caused Dean to open up, not only about the reasoning behind his nightmares, but the reasoning for his edgy character and hatred of The Authority.

"There was a girl…" he began, his face turning warm at the mere thought of her. "The most beautiful and wonderful girl I'd ever met in my life."

 _A girl?_

"What was she like?" I asked, being as careful as I could so as not to close him up again.

"She was funny, bright, smart, kind, everything you could ever want. She made me smile, made me safe, made me feel wanted. She was my whole life." His smile was huge on his face, his blue eyes sparkling. "That blonde hair, those big brown doe eyes, I'd never met anyone like her before. She even accepted the fact that I worked for The Authority."

"She did?"

He nodded. "She didn't care what I did professionally. She just cared about me and being with me. We loved each other through thick and thin, just me and her against the world."

"So what happened?" I asked, not sure if wanted to know the answer.

He frowned then, his once warm face turning sullen and melancholy. "She was a good person, made of pure positivity, and she was beginning to question some of the things The Authority did. She started to research them, find out all their secrets, discover the terrible things they did. She managed to free prisoners and began to bring the Authority down. So they took her…" Tears built in his eyes.

"Dean…" I began. Maybe I was pushing him too far. I began to wonder if he was opening up more than he emotionally could.

"They ripped her from me and punished me for her crimes. Tortured me for a week. But none of that mattered. I'd take any punishment for her as long as they let her free. Only they didn't. They took her anyway… t-tortured her…" His voice started to break.

"What happened to her?" I whispered, tears forming in my eyes, not only at the story but at the broken man before me.

"I don't know. I heard her screams for days and then nothing. I don't know if they moved her away or… killed her…" His voice was almost a whisper. "But I never saw her again. From that day I vowed to bring down The Authority and destroy them for what they did to her. Roman and Seth followed me. She was their friend too and we would never forgive them for what they did. They took the only person I've ever loved. So since then we've attacked them whenever we could and have saved those they have taken, all with the aim of finding her again one day."

"But what if she's… dead?"

"Then I wanna find her and give her the loving send off she deserves. The Authority won't keep me from her forever. Her screams haunt my nightmares every night."

I wiped away my tears. This poor broken man, that poor innocent woman. She had just been like my brother, fighting the side of good to bring down the bad of the world. And she had potentially lost her life because of that. And Dean had lost the girl he loved. How could an organisation be so cruel? So twisted?

I had to do some good for The Shield here. If they were helping me, then I would help them.

"What was her name? I asked.

"Renee," he replied. "Her name was Renee."

"Well I'm gonna help you find Renee," I smiled. "Whether what we find is good or bad, I'll reunite you both."

"How you gonna do that?" he raised an eyebrow.

"John knows a lot of people," I said. "He has contacts. You guys are helping me, I'll help you."

He smirked to himself. "I doubt anyone can help, but I appreciate it, kid. Do what you can."

"I'll do my best, I promise," I said just as Seth and Roman entered the room.

"How are you feeling this morning, Lily?" Roman asked as he grabbed a glass of cold water. The two of them were hot and sweaty from their training. "Did you manage to get much rest after what happened?"

"Much better, thanks," I replied with a smile. "Slept the rest of the night through."

Seth gave Roman a questioning look, but the Samoan gave him a look in reply indicating that he would tell him about it all later.

"Good to hear," Roman replied, finishing his water.

"I'm going for a shower," Seth said as he made his way to the bathroom, Dean heading to his bedroom.

"You okay?" I shouted behind him, and for the first time since we had met, Dean Ambrose gave me a genuine smile.

"I'm good, kid. I just need to lie down and think. I'm in an optimistic mood for once."

I grinned as he shut the bedroom door behind him, pleased that I'd actually helped him.

"What did you do to make him smile like that?" Roman questioned.

"Just offered some help and let him open up a little about Renee," I responded.

"He told you about his past?" he asked incredulously. "Dean doesn't tell anyone about his history with Renee."

"He just needed some gentle persuasion and someone to let it all out to," I said. "It's a woman thing."

He smirked down at me, his grey eyes shining. "Well you're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"I try," I smiled, glad that I'd been able to help and make the lonely little lunatic just that tiny bit happier.

* * *

 **Thank you so much to Bajor10 and calwitch for reviewing the last chapter. Keep the feedback coming guys (:**


	6. The Great Escape

**Welcome back to another chapter, oh lovely readers. Once again, thank you to those who have favourited and followed my little story.**

 **This chapter is named after 'The Great Escape' by We Are Scientists.**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point of View

Over the next few days, life in the cabin had been fairly easy and relaxing. I'd gotten to know The Shield boys much better and I realised how fun they were to be around.

Dean was utterly hilarious; it was the best way to put it. He told the best stories, had the best jokes, and made me laugh till my stomach hurt. I knew if I wanted light relief from my situation, I could go to Dean. The previously private man had really opened up since admitting to me about his past and I knew I could call him a genuine friend.

Roman was protective. I didn't know if it was because he was the biggest and most intimidating of the three guys, but I felt the safest around him, like nothing could go wrong if Roman was in the room. He was a bit of a flirt too, which kept me on my toes, but I knew he was harmless and his company was truly enjoyable.

Seth was the friendly one. Always asking if I was alright, always making sure I was fed and comfortable, always putting my needs above The Shield's, giving me the best bedroom and the best food. He was a sweetheart.

But all three had one thing in common – their main aim of protecting me. I knew they were only doing their job, but it made me feel warm inside that there were people who wanted me safe and to bring me home. After being the little sister of John Cena all my life, and living with all that accompanied that, it was nice to see people who gave a damn about me, Lily Watson, in my own right, not Lily Watson, half sister of John Cena.

Sure, my relationship with The Shield may have started that way, John did send them after all. But after the way we had bonded, I knew they saw me as a real person now and not just a job they had to complete.

The days in the cabin had been uneventful after the first twenty-four hours, in the sense that nothing major happened. We hung out, we talked, we got to know each other. The guys trained, I read from the limited supply of books within the cabin, and we enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Sure, the days had been uneventful, but they were still utterly enjoyable.

After weeks trapped under The Authorities control, it was just nice to relax for once.

"Rice and chicken for dinner?" Seth suggested as he looked through the kitchen cupboards. Our food supply was becoming extremely limited and I knew one of us would have to go into the nearest town to restock soon.

"Yum, another deliciously bland meal to look forward to," Dean smirked from the sofa. "Can't wait, Rollins."

Seth jokingly gave him the middle fingers as he set some water to boil for the rice. He then found a frying pan for the pieces of chicken.

"I'm gonna take a shower whilst you cook if that's okay," I said as I made my way to the kitchen. I felt grubby and a good shower was always relaxing at the end of a day.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Roman said. "There's fresh towels in the bathroom."

He was right, a big fluffy towel was hanging from the towel rack. I switched the water on and allowed it to warm up as I undressed. I stepped under the water once it was hot enough, letting the water cascade down my body, my muscles relaxing instantly. It felt glorious.

I washed my hair and body swiftly before switching the water off. I stepped out the shower, towel drying my hair before wrapping it around my body. Quick as a flash, I darted from the bathroom to my bedroom before any of the guys could see me, shutting my door behind me.

The sunset looked truly stunning from my bedroom window as I began to dry my body. It was the kind of sunset you'd only see out in the country where the cabin was located. You'd never see the likes of it in the city or Florida where my brother lived. I was lucky to see it and tried my hardest to commit it to memory.

"Beautiful…" I whispered to myself.

A sudden movement from outside caused my body to freeze up, my previous feelings of happiness and awe from the sunset transforming into nervousness.

 _What was that?_

The rustling of leaves caused my body to freeze up again, my body holding in a breath. The feelings that came over my body did not feel good, and I suddenly felt cautious and a little scared.

The sight of a silhouetted body running past my window confirmed that my negative feelings had arrived with good reason.

 _No… It can't be them… surely…_

"Lily?" came a voice from outside my door. I wrapped the towel around my body even tighter as I ran quickly to the door, not opening it.

"Seth, there's someone outside my window." My voice was shaking but I fought to remain calm.

"We know, they're all around the cabin," his voice said, his tone serious.

"W-What?" I cried, panic filling my voice, my chest heaving as I got short of breath.

"You need to listen to me. I need to you to get dressed and hide under your bed. Do not move and do not make a sound until one of us comes for you. Understand?"

"Y-Yes," I replied, my eyes fixed on my window as another silhouette ran past it. "Seth, are they… are they gonna hurt me?"

"No way in hell we'll let them touch you. Remember, not a sound," Seth's voice said.

"Seth, I'm scared…" I whimpered as another person ran past the window.

"Lily, it's okay, you're gonna be alright, sweetheart. You'll be fine as long as you're hidden. We'll take care of the rest."

I rushed cautiously to the wardrobe in my room. I pulled out a dress and threw it on, diving under my bed as I heard the front door of the cabin burst open, shouts and screams coming from the main living area. I covered my ears, my body shaking in fear as I lay on my stomach under my bed.

How the hell had The Authority found us? We had been hidden so well, so discreetly. The cabin was literally in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by acres and acres of woodland. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. They must have been searching 24/7 since I'd made my escape; it was the only explanation.

I let out a tiny squeal as my bedroom window was shattered by a large stone, men pulling the glass away to enter the room. My heart pounded in my chest as I clasped my hand over my mouth in an attempt to silence my heavy and petrified breathing. My nerves were shot to shit as my body shook, tears pooling in my eyes.

I prayed to god they wouldn't find me as I saw the footsteps of several men cross my room, heading for the door.

 _Oh God, please let the guys be okay…_

"Look in every room, she has to be in here somewhere," came the booming voice of The Big Show. I fought back the urge to cry as I lay as silently as possible. That's what Seth had said to do, and that was what I would do.

His feet continued to walk slowly around my room as I heard him open my wardrobe, moving whatever clothing was around in there and shutting it again. He walked around the bed and stopped again, his feet facing me as I squeezed my eyes closed.

 _Please don't look under here… please don't look under here…_

"Well what do we have here? A little stow-away…" came his voice. My eyes shot open as I found him on his hands and knees, looking right at me. His smirk was huge, sinister, menacing. I let out a scream and my instincts took over, I bolted from under the bed and attempted to run. It was futile as he grabbed me by the hair, pulling my face up to look at him. "Silly girl. What were you thinking? You can never run from The Authority."

Pain shot through my scalp as he pulled harder on my hair, his fist gripping it harshly.

"Let me go…" I tried and he simply sniggered.

"You aren't going anywhere, you little-"

And the next thing I saw was a black flash and The Big Show disappeared, falling to the floor and letting me go, letting me fall to my knees. It took a second before I realised what had happened. Roman had entered and hit the giant directly with a spear, causing him to lie unconscious on the ground.

I rubbed my head as Roman rushed to my side.

"Shit, Lily, are you alright? Where did he hurt you?"

"Just a little hair pulling, I'm good," I replied, noticing the noise in the living room dying down.

"We need to go," Roman stated, scooping me up in his arms and carrying me to the window, jumping through it. It was cold outside, the night air rushing around us, hitting my still wet hair from my shower. I shivered and the Samoan held me closer, his body heat keeping me warm.

"Where's Dean and Seth?" I cried in panic. My heart sunk as I realised two out of four of us were missing.

"They're fine," he responded as he ran into the trees, getting as far away from the cabin as he could. "We split up, giving those guys less of a chance to find us. We'll rendezvous on the road."

I clung to him as he ran. "How did they find us?"

"I have no fucking idea," he replied. "But we need to distance ourselves from them as quickly as possible."

I closed my eyes as tears fell, all the fear and horror I'd felt within the cabin coming out. "God…" I whispered as a tiny sob left my lips.

"Don't worry, little one. We're out of there now, I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with me."

I nodded as I wiped away the tears. I'd always felt the safest with Roman and I was glad he was with me. Lord knows what The Big Show would have done had he not gotten there in time to stop the seven foot man.

We made it to the road, seeing the headlights of a car heading towards us in the distance.

 _Don't let it be more of them…_

The black Land Rover drove closer and I visibly relaxed when I noticed Seth in the driver's seat, Dean riding shot gun. They were safe and I'd never been so relieved in my life. They pulled up to us and Roman threw the door open, shoving me inside.

"About time you two showed up," he chuckled as he followed me in and shut the door behind him, Seth speeding away immediately.

"Well you know us," began Dean. "Fashionably late as always."

The three men laughed as I relaxed in my seat, watching the world go by and trying my hardest to calm my thumping heart down. I took deep breaths knowing we were all together again and The Authority would soon be miles down the road.

It had only taken them days to find us, so I knew wherever we went now, we had to put some serious distance between us and them. They would clearly never stop now till they had me, and we had to fend them off for as long as possible.

The Authority were clearly never going to stop hunting me down, so all we could do was run for as long as possible.

"Thank you," I whispered as the car sped away, turning to Roman and offering the Samoan my warmest smile, or as warm as I could muster at that moment. "I don't know what he'd have done to me if you hadn't come when you did."

"I was just doing what any person would have done, Lily," he said, his grey eyes looking into my blue ones.

"It doesn't matter, you saved me and I'm forever grateful for that."

"It was nothing," he replied, gently brushing my hair from my face, his fingers lingering a little too long on my temple, my body strangely missing them when he finally pulled them away.

* * *

 **A massive thanks to Cinnamon Muffin Punk and Guest for their reviews and PMs. I appreciate it so much. All feedback is welcome, and it just lets me know that you guys like what I'm writing and that people are actually reading this! So if you could take a few seconds to leave me a review, I'll love you all forever (:**


	7. Run Away Baby

**Hello everyone and welcome back. Thanks to everyone who has favourited and followed this story. I'm enjoying writing it so much, so I hope you all enjoy reading it too.**

 **This chapter is named after 'Run Away Baby' by Bruno Mars**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point of View

"Vegas?" I asked. "You have a place in Vegas?"

"Sure do," Dean replied, leaning back in his seat, relaxed. "And where better to hide than in plain sight, a place I know well, and somewhere where I can get whiskey any time of the day?"

"It makes the most sense to me," Seth commented thoughtfully. "The Authority wouldn't expect it."

We were currently parked on a highway in the middle of nowhere. Fields surrounded us as the moon shone down on us, providing some form of light. We had stumbled across a payphone where Roman was currently talking to my brother, updating him on what was happening.

Payphones made the most sense as our form of communication to John since their old fashioned technology meant it was harder for The Authority to track our current location. Plus the fact that, even if it was tracked, it was located in the middle of nowhere, meaning we could have headed in any direction afterwards. Our enemy wouldn't have a clue where we were, and that played well into our hands.

"I've never been to Vegas before," I said as I settled back in my seat. The rest of us were still in the car whilst Roman chatted away a few yards down the road.

"Beautiful weather, beautiful ladies, beautiful times," Dean smiled. "What's not to love? It's fantastic there."

I smiled. Dean Ambrose, ever the optimist.

"I say we head there, hold up at Dean's place for a while, at least until the dust settles," suggested Seth. "It'll be harder for them to find us, and being surrounded by civilians means it'll be harder for them to try anything." We all agreed, seeing it as the best plan of action.

He turned to face the steering wheel as Roman began to return to the car. The wince his face made did no go un-noticed.

"Seth, what's wrong?" I asked in concern, leaning forward from my seat in the back to look at him better, my eyebrows furrowed.

"It's nothing, just a little battle wound, no biggy," he smiled, playing it off as if it wasn't a problem.

But he couldn't hide his pain as I glanced at his arm. "Shit, you're bleeding!"

It had been difficult to tell at first due to his black clothing hiding the injury and the moon providing little light for us, but sure enough, his clothing was damp and blood was beginning to pool on his skin.

 _Shit…_

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled as Roman got into the car.

"Of course I'm gonna fucking worry about it! You're hurt, Rollins!" I exclaimed.

"She's right, Seth," Dean said, worry etched on his face as he examined his brother's arm. "You need to get that looked at. There's a first aid kit in the trunk."

Upon hearing this, Roman immediately jumped back out the car and rushed to get it.

"Honestly, I'm good. I've had worse injuries," Seth reasoned as Dean ignored him and dragged him out the car and led him to the back seat. "Ambrose, I'm fine."

"No you're not," he replied matter-of-factly. Dean ordered me into the front passenger seat as Roman jumped in beside Seth to tend to his injury. Dean would drive. I did just as I was told, turning to look at poor Seth once we had settled into our new seating arrangement.

"It's not fine, you're hurt, Seth. Please let Roman look at it," I argued as worried tears pooled in my eyes. In that moment I could only think one thing.

It was all my fault.

I knew these men were risking themselves in order to look after and protect me. They didn't need to, I was a stranger to them, but they had, and I'd always worried about what would happen to them. And now one of them was hurt, and rather seriously too. This poor man had been injured protecting me and I hated myself for it.

They were defending me, and I should have been defending them. The Shield weren't involved in mine and my brother's fight against The Authority, but now they were casualties, and I'd never forgive myself if anything serious happened to them. They were my friends and my protectors, nothing could happen to these guys.

But something had. They were hurting themselves for me, risking themselves for me, putting their lives in danger for me, and I fucking hated it. I had gotten to know these men and they were wonderful human-beings.

They'd had to isolate themselves, fight for me, live life on the run for me. They shouldn't be put in danger for me, not now I was so close to them.

I couldn't let it happen anymore…

Seth looked at me sadly, seeing the tears in my blue eyes, and he sighed. "Lily…"

"Please, Seth. Just get it looked at. For my sake."

He nodded, wiping away one of my concerned tears as it fell with his thumb. "Fine. For you." He removed his special-ops vest and t-shirt, allowing us to see the injury better, shivering a little as the air hit his bare muscled chest.

 _Erm… wow…_

Regardless of my pleading, he didn't really have much choice in the matter; Roman had already been preparing the bandages. He began to clean the wound with alcohol, a large gash across the brunette's upper arm, blood dripping from it.

 _Oh god… poor Seth…_

Dean put the car into gear and we headed down the road, checking on Seth through his mirrors. "How'd you get it?"

"Noble," Seth said. "Jamie Noble had a knife." He hissed as the alcohol hit the wound, stinging him. "A bit gentler, Reigns. That stuff hurts."

"The little shit," Dean mumbled under his breath as the Land Rover sped down the road. "Always hated Noble."

I just watched as Roman cleaned up his wound, adding some cream and bandaging it up tightly in order to stop the blood flow. I could only watch on, feeling like shit, seeing my friend in pain.

How could this have happened? They were never supposed to get hurt. The Authority weren't just fighting; they were playing dirty and using dangerous weapons. What if the knife had hit him harder? What if it had been a few inches to the right and had hit his heart? Seth could be dead right now, any of them could.

I closed my eyes and faced forward again, letting tears fall from my eyes as I watched the world pass by around us. This couldn't happen again. I couldn't put my friends at risk like that. They had done so much for me already, I couldn't jeopardise their safety again.

So I made the decision there and then to leave. I didn't know when and I had no fucking idea how, but I had to leave them. I had to make a run for it and leave The Shield behind. The Authority was my fight and I would never put their safety in peril for me. I would leave them, let The Authority find me and not hurt my friends in the process.

The guys would all be pretty pissed with me, but I didn't care. I was doing it for them. I'd not have another Seth Rollins injury situation on my hands or conscious. My guilt was too great for that to happen.

They'd be safe, I'd make sure of it.

xXx

We pulled into a motel about midnight, all of us tired from the night's events. Dean parked up the car and turned off the engine. Roman stayed with Seth as Dean and I approached the front desk, asking for a room for the night. All they had was a room with two double beds, so we settled for that, knowing we needed the rest.

We all entered the room, putting the limited bags we had down on the floor. We hadn't really been able to grab much after leaving the cabin, just an emergency bag of clothes and a bag food that we had left in the car.

Seth fished through the bag for a clean shirt as we sorted sleeping arrangements. Both double beds were side by side, and we settled on me sleeping furthest from the door to keep as much distance between the entrance to the room and myself as possible. We decided that sharing a bed with Roman would be the best option for me as he was the biggest and could shield me better should there be an attack. Dean shared a bed with Seth, lying closest to the door. His lunatic ways meant that should they burst through the door, he'd fly off the handle the quickest and attack immediately. Plus it was wise to put an injured Seth between his two brothers.

The room wasn't that big, and it didn't smell the best, but it would do for one night before we drove to Vegas the next day…

Only I didn't plan to drive to Vegas. I wasn't going anywhere near it. I planned to make my escape that night. I had noticed a bus route on our way to the motel; I would wait till the guys were asleep then head out, going to the furthest point that the bus could take me. I'd make my way back to John on my own.

I'd found out from my time in the cabin that The Shield were heavy sleepers, so being as small and nimble as I was, I should be able to quietly make my way out without detection.

No more accidents on my behalf. I would no longer allow anyone or anything to threaten my friend's lives.

Dean collapsed onto the bed immediately, falling asleep before he'd even removed his boots.

"That driving really must have taken it out of Ambrose," Roman chuckled. I took my shoes off and helped the injured Seth settle into bed, moving Dean over as best as I could. Seth was still sore so I'd help him in any way possible.

"Dean is like a dead weight," I commented, finally moving the sleeping man to give Seth room. "Comfortable?" I asked as he settled under the covers.

"Very. Thanks, Lily," he said, smiling warmly as me.

I smiled back as I moved to get into the bed with Roman, settling under the covers and facing away from everyone. If I was to feign sleep, the best way was to not let them see my face. I'd wait for them all to drift off before I made my move.

It didn't take long, the evening taking its toll on all three men. They were exhausted and all fell asleep within ten minutes of each other. It took me a further fifteen minutes to actually gather the courage to get up and out of bed. I tiptoed and swiftly pulled my shoes on. I grabbed one of the bags and began to fill it with limited supplies.

I froze as Dean moved in his sleep, but visibly relaxed when he simply moved to get more comfortable, soon lying still again.

With my bag packed, I hoisted it onto my shoulders and gently opened the door.

I looked back at my saviours, tears pooling in my eyes. They had done so much for me in the few days they had known me. They had freed me from The Authority and protected me from them in every way since. I would be forever grateful for The Shield. I loved each and every one of them. I could truly call them friends… and that's why I did what I had to do.

"Sorry…" I whispered as I exited the room, closing the door softly behind me.

* * *

 **A massive thank you to Bajor10, KairiAnneYukari21, and a guest reviewer for reviewing the last chapter. I always love hearing feedback, guys, so if you have a few moments to put a few words, I'd be eternally grateful**


	8. Gotta Find You

**Welcome back to Irresistible! Hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Incase anyone was wondering, when I write this, I see Lily as Zooey Deschanel in looks. You can obviously see her as anyone you like, but that's who I personally write her looking as.**

 **Anywho, let's get into the head of a Shield member, shall we?**

 **This chapter is named after 'Gotta Find You' by Joe Jonas**

* * *

Roman Reigns's Point of View

I rolled over in my sleep, grateful for the rest after the night's events. The bed wasn't that comfortable, but after several nights of sleeping on a sofa in the cabin, it was like sleeping on a cloud.

It had been a while too since I'd shared a bed with a woman, especially a full night. Normally women entered my bed, we did the business and they left soon after, but it felt nice to actually have someone there for the entire night. It was comforting having a warm and soft body beside me. And Lily was very easy on the eye, so it wasn't difficult to accept the request of sleeping beside her.

Lily was… interesting. My initial thoughts were that she'd be just like her brother – wooden, robotic, boring. All the rubbish parts of being a good guy but without all the warmness and humanness they should also possess. But she was nothing like him at all. She had personality, she had character, she was funny and sweet, not to mention gorgeous. Any man with a set of working eyes could see she was beautiful. It was very easy to flirt with her.

 _Hey! I'm a guy…_

But most of all, she was one of us. She connected with The Shield, she was on our wavelength, like our missing member almost. So it was insanely easy to get on with her and like her. It didn't even feel like a job with her anymore. We were no longer protecting a client, we were protecting a friend. We weren't doing it because of the money anymore; we were doing it because we actually wanted to.

Lily meant something to us now.

She meant something to _me_ …

I often had to chase away those thoughts, the thoughts of Lily being more than a friend. It was very easy to slip into them, Lily was a wonderful person after all and she made me smile everyday with everything she did. But romance in our line of work never worked out. We only had to remind ourselves of Dean and Renee to know that. Men like us were better off single and alone with no commitments. It was hard knowing the lives of my friends and brothers were at risk in this line of work, but a potential romantic partner? No, they could never be exposed to all this.

So even though my thoughts about Lily never expanded more than beyond idol and fleeting dreams, they still appeared all the same.

She was my friend, and I was her protector. It had to stay that way.

I rolled over on the bed, draping my arm out to fall over her, keeping her close and protected in case The Authority made an unwelcome appearance.

Only my arm fell onto the cold mattress…

 _She's not there…_

My eyes few open and I sat straight up. Her side of the bed was empty.

"Lily!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, my heart thumping in my chest, Dean and Seth waking up in a haze.

"Huh… what…?" mumbled Dean, barely managing to open his eyes.

"Lily's gone," I said with dread, jumping from the bed and rushing to check for her in the bathroom.

"What?!" he yelled, his body suddenly becoming alert.

The bathroom was empty. "Where the fuck is she?" Panic laced itself into my voice as I brushed my hair from my face. "If those bastards have gotten to her…"

"Look," said Seth as he pointed to our bags on the floor. One was noticeably missing.

 _She wouldn't…_

"You don't think she… left, do you?" asked Dean. "Surely she wouldn't just go."

"Why would she have done that?" I questioned. It didn't make sense for her to leave us, not after the fear the raid on the cabin had instilled into her. She knew she was safest with us, so why leg it?

"I don't know but we have to look for her," Seth said, wincing as he moved his arm.

"Well you're clearly too fucked up to go out there," Dean noted. "Seth, stay in case she comes back. It'll freak her out if she thinks we all left. Ill take the north road out of here, Roman, you take the south. She may have decided to head into town, it's only about two miles away."

I nodded, running from the motel room before he even finished his sentence. Lily was out there and I didn't have time to wait around. We had to find her, because if we didn't, I knew others that would. And I wouldn't have that.

Ever.

I rushed through the motel car park and out onto the road, moving as fast as my legs could carry me. We were surrounded by fields, deserted hills and a few trees, but there was only one road in or out this place. She wouldn't have gotten far, terrible thoughts flooding my mind as I ran.

What if she was hurt or run over? It was dark out and cars could struggle to see her out here in the middle of nowhere.

What if The Authority got to her first? They had found us in the cabin, they could easily track us down here if they really wanted to. The shit they were capable of was scary. It wouldn't take them long to take her.

And then the worst thought of all crossed my mind…

What if we never saw here again? What if _I_ never saw her again? She could make it out of here unaided; she could succeed in her obvious plan to leave. I didn't know what her reasons were but there was a chance she may leave and never come back if we couldn't find her.

My heart hurt a little at the thought of that, but I had to erase it from my head. I had to focus and find her. That was the main task at hand.

A late-night bus passed me as I ran, the lights beaming from it illuminating the road if only for a while. It was hard looking with just the moon as my only light source, so the lighting helped. But I wasn't going to give up, not if she was out there alone. I prayed to god that she actually had run away. If The Authority had taken her, I didn't know what we'd do.

I noticed the bus stop a few yards down the road, awaiting passengers to pick up. The person about to board the bus was merely a silhouette from afar but the closer I got, the closer I could make out her features. I'd notice her blue eyes and brown hair anywhere, and my thumping heart visibly relaxed when I knew I'd finally found her.

 _Oh thank god…_

Why she was all the way out here, I didn't have a fucking clue. I wanted to kill her and hug her in the same moment, I wanted to yell at her and hold her. I was so mad but so thankful that she was okay. She boarded the bus and I sprinted off, catching the vehicle before it drove away.

xXx

Lily Watson's Point of View

"Oh fuck…" I whispered to myself, my eyes wide when I noticed another passenger board the bus. Being over 6 foot and having long black hair meant it was pretty easy to spot Roman Reigns a mile off. He paid the driver and slowly made his way down the aisle, sitting down in the empty seat beside me, his chest heaving a little as he caught his breath.

 _I'm screwed…_

He didn't utter a single word to me and he didn't look at me once. He simply looked forward and kept his mouth shut as the bus began to move.

 _Is he waiting for me to speak first?_

I sneakily glanced at him before looking out of the window, staring at my reflection against the glass through the dark sky outside.

How the fuck had they found me? Had my plan honestly been that easy to foil? I thought I'd at least have enough time to get on the bus and be miles from the motel before they would wake up. I'd been gone literally ten minutes and they'd already found me.

I sighed at my own foolishness.

Of course they'd find me, they were The Shield. There's a reason John hired them to help; they were the best of the best and my tiny escape plan was nothing compared to what they could do. I never had a chance. They were always going to find me.

I felt stupid in that moment and I knew I had to make the first move in making amends here.

I found the courage to speak.

"R-Roman… I… I…" I began.

"In your own time, little one," he said, still not looking at me. "We have all night." His jaw tensed and I knew he wasn't happy with me. I couldn't blame him; I'd be pissed with me too.

I looked down, playing with my fingers in my lap. "Are you mad?"

"I'm relieved," he said. "Relieved you're safe, relieved you hadn't been taken. I'm a frustrated too… extremely frustrated. And oh so pissed off, but I'm not mad."

I nodded, a little ashamed of myself. Yes, I knew I'd left for their safety, but I should have thought about their feelings too. I was their friend just as they were mine, and I'd hate it if one of them walked out on me.

"Should we get off the bus?" I asked timidly.

"Whenever you're ready, Lily," he responded. "Only if it's what you want to do."

I sighed. "It is. I want to get off," I said, pressing the stop button to indicate to the driver I was getting off at the next stop. Roman, being a gentleman even in his frustrated mood, took my bag from me and put it on his shoulder as the bus slowed down and we got off. It sped away, leaving the two of us to walk slowly back to the motel. Roman walked ahead as I skulked slowly behind him, biting my lip nervously. Sure, he wasn't mad but it was very easy to see how pissed off he was. "Are Dean and Seth okay?" I asked timidly.

"They will be when you're back," he said, continuing to walk.

I nodded. "Good." It was all I could think to say in that moment. It was hard to know what to say that wouldn't get him more upset.

 _You've really done it this time, Lily._

My stomach sunk as I saw how tense and sad he seemed. I'd really upset these guys by leaving, and that had never been my intention. I'd only wanted to protect them like they had me. I never wanted to hurt them. I knew the best option was to explain myself.

"Listen, I didn't mean to hurt you, I only wanted to protect you guys," I began. "I saw what they did to Seth back at the cabin and I couldn't risk that again happening to you again. I had to go. I… I don't know… I… It's not a big deal, I-"

I didn't have time to finish my sentence. All of a sudden I was pinned up against a tree, Roman's hands leaning on the bark either side of my head, trapping me. The bag had fallen to the ground with a thump, and his deep grey eyes were staring deeply into my blue ones. The intense stare made my breath catch in my throat. I was entranced.

"Not a big deal? NOT A BIG DEAL?! Do you know how fucking scared I was?" he growled, trying to keep his temper under control. "Do you know what ran through my head when I thought you were gone?" I shook my head, every hair on my body standing on end. I could feel his breath on my face, its delicious warmth causing my heart to pound. "I thought they'd taken you, Lily. I was petrified Triple H had you, that they had won. I was scared we'd never see you again, that _I'd_ never see you again. It killed me to see your side of the bed empty."

"I… I'm sorry…" I whispered.

He shook his head, leaning closer. "I've never been so terrified in my fucking life. It doesn't matter to us what happens to The Shield. What matters to us is what happens to you. I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt. I'd never forgive myself."

Tears pooled in my eyes, the Samoan's nose brushing mine lightly. I had no idea The Shield cared for me in the way they did.

"Roman…"

"Don't you ever do that again," he whispered. "We do what we do because we want to. You're our friend, Lily and we care about you. We want to protect you, keep you safe. We're never at risk, not when it's something we're passionate about."

His tone had calmed now, his anger dissipating.

"It won't, it won't happen again. I'm sorry…" And it wouldn't happen again. Not now I knew how much they obviously cared.

His hands removed themselves from the tree and his arms snaked around my waist, pulling me to him in a hug. Goosebumps appeared all over my arms as butterflies entered my stomach. He was so warm and safe, his arms holding me close. I buried my face in his chest, hugging him back, willing the tears to go away. They didn't; as if on cue, they tumbled down my cheeks, soaking his vest.

"Good. Thought I'd lost you there for a while," he said, a light chuckle lacing his voice. "Didn't think I'd see you again." He gave me a gentle squeeze before reluctantly letting me go and picking up my bag. "Now let's go. I know Seth will want to know you're safe and I bet Dean is going out of his lunatic mind."

"Sure," I smiled, wiping away my tears. He placed a light kiss on my forehead before we slowly headed back to the motel, the feel of his lips lingering on my skin.

Once there I was wrapped in Seth's arms before we'd even got through the door. "Oh thank god…" he whispered, squeezing me so tightly I could hardly breathe, Dean and Roman bumping fists behind us.

"Nice one, Reigns. You're too slow for us, kiddo," Dean joked once Seth had let me go, the lunatic rubbing my hair in a brotherly way. "You should have known we'd find you."

"Never do that again," scolded Seth before he embraced me in a hug again. I smiled against his chest, just letting him have this moment. It was the least I could do after what I'd put them through.

"I've already lectured her, Rollins," Roman said. "She's apologised and it won't happen again."

"Sorry," I said, pulling away and looking at the three men. "I thought I was doing the right thing, but I know staying with you guys is the correct option."

"Damn right it is," smirked Dean.

 _Yes, it definitely is_

The madness of the night – the cabin raid, reaching the motel, my failed escape, it had taken its toll on the four of us, and we all desperately needed sleep. It didn't take us long to drift off, my mind inwardly smiling as Roman's arm wrapped itself around me.

I did love my three protective boys.

* * *

 **Thank you to** **WWEaholicTwlightaholic** **, calwitch, DJFireHawk,** **KairiAnneYukari21** **and jade for their reviews. I really appreciate it, so thanks! Keep the reviews coming**


	9. Ties That Bind

**Hi everyone! Thanks for the continued support for this story. My second WWE story will be coming soon too so keep your eye out for that. Don't forget to favourite, follow and review!**

 **Also I am soooo happy that Finn Balor won the NXT title this past Saturday in Japan. He is my joint second favourite wrestler, so I was beyond excited that he won! I was jumping and screaming like an idiot in celebration haha! So pleased for him.**

 **This chapter is named after 'Ties That Bind' by Alterbridge.**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point of View

 _Mmmm…_

I smiled contentedly in my sleep the next morning.

I felt warm and protected and safe lying in the motel bed, the memories of the previous night a simply fleeting dream.

I couldn't believe how foolish I'd been to run away from The Shield. It had been selfish and stupid and wrong. Of course they were going to come after me, and of course they were going to find me. It was in their line of work to do this kind of thing, my naivety of the situation was laughable really. I hadn't even made it to the bus before Roman found me, bringing me straight back to where I belonged.

I belonged with them.

I knew this now. Their reaction to what I had done, _his_ reaction to what I had done. The guilt that lay in my heart became stronger than any other that I'd felt around these men. They were genuinely hurt that I'd gone, but so insanely relieved that I was back and safe. I knew I couldn't leave them, not now.

I was bonded to these men, and I'd never let them go again.

Roman's words had rung around my head on a constant loop…

 _Thought I'd lost you… Didn't think I'd see you again… We want to protect you…_

I was indebted to these three wonderful and brave men. I wouldn't ever leave because of my own selfish reasons, not anymore. I'd stay because they needed me as much as I needed them. It was them and I against the world.

Seth, Dean, Roman, Lily. Just the four of us.

I snuggled into the bed, feeling Roman's muscled arm squeeze tighter around my waist, pulling me flush against his chiselled chest. I sighed contentedly.

Roman had given me goosebumps last night. The way he came after me, the way he reacted to my leaving, the fear that lay behind his grey orbs. I'd never seen him so vulnerable or human before. He'd always been this big powerhouse, eager to joke around, ever the loveable flirt. He always seemed so indestructible and strong. But last night he showed that he wasn't this impervious tower of a man with all that strength, he showed me that he cared, that he cared for me, and that he was genuinely terrified that I'd gone.

It broke my heart… but also made it pound too. Never in my twenty-five years on this earth had a man ever said such heartfelt things to me or made the butterflies appear in my stomach like he had. Being the little sister of John Cena meant men tended to be petrified to even approach me, let alone woo me. I'd had a few dates, I'd had a few one night stands, I'd even had a relationship or two. But none ever went past a month. They were all too scared of my big brother to ever let anything continue.

I couldn't blame them; John was very intimidating. As was Nikki. Together they had scared off any man that had shown any remote interest in me.

Roman had been the first man in my life to genuinely give a shit about me, the entire Shield had. But the way he went out of his way to come looking for me, it made my breath catch in my throat. It made me… warm inside. For the first time in forever, I felt truly wanted by a man. And it felt good to have someone feel that way about me. It made me feel special, confident… beautiful.

The way he spoke of his fears, the way he brought me back to the motel, the way he slept beside me keeping me warm and safe… and the way his presence as I slept meant not a single nightmare crossed my mind.

For the first time in weeks, my sleep was nightmare free.

I didn't know if it was Roman Reigns, or the way The Shield had shown their love, but I slept the whole night through, not one bad dream rearing its ugly head. And this made me excited beyond anything I'd imagined.

It was one of the best night's sleeps I'd ever had.

I cuddled against Roman, my eyes slowly fluttering open as sunlight shone through the curtains of our motel room. It took a while for my sleepy eyes to focus but they soon spotted Ambrose looking at us, a cheeky and amused smirk on his lips.

"Dean?" I frowned, my voice broken from sleep.

"Well don't you two look cute just spooning away right there," he teased. "Never seen Roman in such a sensitive situation."

"Huh?" I queried, my tired and freshly woken body not quite grasping the situation.

"Fuck off, Ambrose," I heard Roman mumble, his words muffled, his face buried in my hair.

"It's cute," Dean continued to tease. "You two all snug as a bug…" He could hardly keep the laughter from his voice.

And then it clicked.

I practically jumped from the bed, embarrassment flooding my face, my blush as red as an apple. "Oh my god!"

No longer able to keep it in, Dean burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, his amusement flooding the room. Seth emerged from the bathroom, shaking his head at the lunatic.

"Leave them be, Dean," he said.

"Yeah, leave us be, Dean," said Roman, stretching his body as he woke up. "We weren't doing anything."

I couldn't make eye contact with any of them, my face flushed, my body warm. I'd been so busy focussing on Roman that I forgot other people were in the room… especially Dean Ambrose, the biggest joker and teaser that I knew! I threw my head in my hands before running to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I looked at myself in the mirror, trying to regain some dignity, trying to rationalise everything.

 _He's a man, I'm a woman. So what if we were spooning? It's not against the law!_

My subconscious was right. Roman was a damn good looking guy, it was only something innocent, and it hardly meant anything. I'm sure Seth would have done the same thing had he been in the Samoan's position. Dean could make all the jokes he wanted. I knew it was just him being protective, that's all. And besides, you can hardly control your movements when asleep.

 _It's innocent, purely innocent…_

I stepped out the bathroom, looking more refreshed and calm. Dean didn't say much so I knew Seth had probably scolded him for his teasing. I was grateful for this, it saved me a job!

"Hey, how's your arm today?" I asked the younger man, sitting beside him on the bed as Roman and Dean prepared the bags.

"Much better thanks," he grinned. "Sore, but feels more improved than yesterday."

"Good," I grinned, rubbing his shoulder. "The sooner it heals the better. I assume you talked to Dean?"

"Yeah. Roman wasn't too happy with him so I calmed him down. Said it wasn't fair to tease you like that. What you and Roman do… it's your business at the end of the day." He looked down at his hands in his lap, avoiding eye contact.

I blushed again. "Hey, nothing happened, you know. It was just sleeping, we woke up that way." I put my hair behind my ears nervously. "Completely innocent."

 _Completely and utterly!_

He sighed and finally looked up at me, offering a warm smile. "I know. He said he'll stop the joking anyway."

"Thanks, Seth," I said.

He winked at me before standing up. Roman and Dean had packed the car whilst we spoke, so we headed out, wanting to get onto the road as soon as possible, the journey to Vegas would take us a while. We handed our room key into the motel reception and headed on our way.

xXx

Dean's apartment was lovely when we finally got there after a day's drive. Their job must pay well as it was nicely furnished with two bedrooms, a kitchen and dining area, a large bathroom and homely living room area. It had two balconies, one in the living room and one in the smaller bedroom, both of them overlooking the Las Vegas strip.

"This place is awesome," I commented as we entered his home, putting our bags on the dining table.

"Thanks, kiddo," he replied, kicking off his boots and going into the living area. We all followed suit, sitting down. "It's home enough for me."

"Well I like it," I said. And I did. It was lovely. With it being Dean's place, I expected the furniture to be more out there and extreme. But it was normal, homely, nice. I wondered if Renee had lived here once too and that was the reason for its pleasantness. But I didn't focus on the idea or bring it up. We only ever discussed her if Dean wanted to.

"So what are the sleeping arrangements?" Seth asked as Roman flicked through the TV channels. Night had fallen and it was getting late, we were all tired.

"Well I get my room, because it's my place and I say so," Dean smirked. "And then there's the guest room and the sofa. So I'll let you guys fight it out over who goes where."

"Well Lily gets a bed," Seth suggested. "That's for sure."

I shook my head. "I don't mind the sofa."

"No. It's only right that you get the more comfortable option."

"Thanks," I blushed. Seth really was a sweetheart and a gentleman, always having my best interests at heart.

"Well Roman was the one to drive all day, so maybe he should share the double bed with Lily," Dean smirked. "They are excellent at spooning together after all…"

Roman just glared at him, clearly un-amused by his comments.

Seth sighed. "Ambrose… you kind of make a point." Roman then glared at his friend and Seth held his hands up defensively. "Not about the spooning! But you have driven all day, you do deserve the bed tonight. That's if Lily doesn't mind…"

I shook my head timidly.

Another night with the Samoan beside me. I was not complaining!

 _He keeps the nightmares away… That's it. He keeps the nightmares away._

"Then it's settled," Dean said, standing up and heading to his room. "Sleep well. I know Roman will."

"AMBROSE!" Roman yelled after the lunatic, Dean laughing as he shut his bedroom door behind him. "That son of a bitch." I shook my head as we said our goodnights to Seth.

"You sure you'll be okay on the sofa with your arm so sore?" I questioned. It was hardly fair that he got the bad end of the sleeping arrangements. "I'll have the sofa, I don't mind."

He shook his head. "No, I won't do that, it wouldn't feel right." He placed a loose piece of hair behind my ear. I blushed. "The lady always gets the most comfortable option. It's how I was raised, sweetheart."

I bit my lip and nodded. "Only if you're sure."

"I'm certain," he said, leaning forward and kissing my forehead softly. "Get some sleep, and don't run away this time."

I laughed nervously and bid him goodnight as Roman and I made our way into the guest room.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want, Lily. I can easily sleep in the living room," he said.

"It's fine," I smiled, making my way over to the balcony in the room. "It's unfair to make you sleep in there. There's only the floor left and I certainly won't let you sleep there after such a long drive. Besides, Dean's just being a tease." I leaned on the railing, looking out to see Vegas all lit up under the night sky. "Wow…"

"Awesome, isn't it?" Roman asked, joining me on the balcony.

"Beautiful," I commented. "It looks so pretty down there."

"Vegas is fun, I'll give you that. Every time Dean and Renee invited us here, we always had a fantastic time. The clubs, the casinos, Vegas is the place to be."

Renee? So she did live with Dean before everything happened…

"This is my first time," I said, my eyes scanning all the lights, hotels and cars zooming by. "I wonder what it's like down there?"

"Well why don't we take you?" Roman asked folding his arms, looking at me.

I looked up at him, my eyebrows furrowed. "As in down to the strip? Can you do that?"

"Sure," he smiled at me. "We can't stay in this apartment the whole time, what happened at the cabin taught us that. It's like Seth said, we're hiding in plain sight. The Authority won't do anything whilst we're in public. What harm can it do?"

Excitement filled my body then. "So you will actually take me down? We can go into the casinos and have a dance in the clubs?"

"Of course. I'll run it by the other guys first, but we'll take you down there."

Before I knew what I was doing, I threw my arms around him, embracing him in a hug. "That's amazing, Roman. Thank you!"

He chuckled. "Well we can't bring you all the way here on not take you on the strip can we?"

I let him go, the smile still bright on my face. "I can't wait."

He rubbed my head. "Get some sleep then, little one. We'll go tomorrow."

* * *

 **A huge thank to K (guest), raaeebrucee, calwitch and** **WWEaholicTwlightaholic** **for their reviews of the last chapter. I honestly love your feedback and I appreciate each and every one of them**


	10. Vegas Girl

**Another day, another chapter.**

 **Bit of progression and character interaction here. Let's read, shall we?**

 **The song mentioned in this chapter is Cry To Me by Solomon Burke. I chose this after watching Dirty Dancing for the millionth time and realising it's a great song for somewhat intimate moment.**

 **This chapter is named after 'Vegas Girl' by Conor Maynard.**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point of View

"Lily! Don't run too far," shouted Seth. "Don't go where I can't see you."

I sighed from my position about ten metres in front of him and turned to face him, my hands on my hips. "Seth, I'm twenty five years old, not even my dad speaks to me like that."

"Yeah, Rollins," Roman said. "She's fine. She's just excited, leave her be."

And I was. I was beyond excited, I was fucking ecstatic! The sun was shining in the perfect blue sky, and the four of us were currently walking down the Las Vegas strip, taking in every sight and sound our bodies could handle.

It was so busy but so wonderful. I'd never been here before, which was surprising considering I'd travelled the world with John and Nikki. But Vegas had never been a stop on any of our trips. I'd seen it on the TV, and The Hangover was one of my favourite movies, so to actually experience Vegas in the flesh was a once in a lifetime moment for me. It was as wonderful as anything I could have imagined.

I could not keep the grin off my face as I took in each and every hotel. Caesar's Palace, The Bellagio, The Venetian, all of them. Everything I'd seen in TV and film was here before me and I was loving every minute.

It was fun seeing the guys in something other than their special-ops gear too. That in itself was an enjoyable experience. The heat meant black was not a good choice, so they opted for t-shirts paired with either some jeans or some shorts, Roman and Seth tying their hair back in a low bun. I'd opted for a summer dress that I'd brought earlier that morning.

Seth sighed as I ran ahead, Dean coming with me. For a guy who lived in this place, he was almost as excited as I was.

"Fine. At least Dean is with her I guess," I faintly heard Seth say.

"Come on!" I yelled from ahead. "You guys are too slow!"

"Yeah," added Dean. "You tell the girl she can come out into the city and then go at a turtle's pace. Not cool!"

"This was Roman's idea, not mine," Rollins reminded us, letting out a nervous breath.

I frowned, Ambrose and I making our way back to him. "Listen, are you okay? You seem distracted."

"Course I'm distracted!" Seth said. "We're out in public, and The Authority could be round any corner, ready to pounce. It worries me is all."

I sighed and took his hand in mine as I walked alongside him, squeezing it in reassurance. I could have sworn he blushed, but it was hard to tell with his facial hair. It was probably just the heat. "Look how busy it is, Seth. Would they honestly do anything in a place with so many people?"

"Maybe…" he muttered.

"No they wouldn't. One wrong move and the police would be here within seconds. They wouldn't have a chance. Like you said yourself, it's hiding in plain sight."

"She's right," Dean added. "They wouldn't dare try anything. Plus we can't bring Lily all the way to Vegas and lock her in my apartment the whole time. That's just mean, Roman would be jealous it wasn't his place instead."

The Samoan went to punch him playfully, but Dean avoided it, running off ahead.

"Get back here, you son of a bitch," Roman yelled, chasing after him, Seth and I chuckling at their fight.

"See?" I said. "Everyone is having fun, and you should too. Be alert by all means, I welcome it! But try to join in as well."

He nodded, a smile gracing his lips as he saw Dean and Roman ahead, the long haired man holding the short haired man in a headlock, rubbing his head with his knuckles. "Alright. For you, and only you. Not because those two idiots told me too."

"Then that's enough for me," I smiled as we caught the others up.

Out of all three men, Seth had been the most vigilant, the most concerned, and the most reluctant to do anything remotely exposing. I totally understood why, especially after how easily they'd driven us from the cabin, but this concerned side meant his fun and open side became more reserved. I missed the Seth who made me laugh and had a good time.

I knew my attempts to run away had really set him back, and he'd hardly kept me out of his sight since I'd returned. But he could not live his whole life with eyes in the back of his head in case The Authority showed up. Of course we were in major danger, none of us had forgotten that. But Seth took it to an extreme, refusing to do anything remotely exciting.

This morning had only been proof of this…

" _No!" Seth yelled. "It's out of the question."_

" _Why not?" Roman asked. "It's only for the day."_

 _Roman's attempts to let me see the Vegas strip were not going well. I had stayed in my bedroom whilst The Shield argued it out in the living area._

" _Because in case you had forgotten, there's an entire fucking organisation out there looking for her! They want her hurt or they want her dead. I am not letting her out there for the entire world to see."_

" _They're probably miles away from here," Roman reasoned. "Besides, what can they do to her in a busy place like this?"_

" _I don't care," Seth shouted. "I am not prepared to expose her like that. We almost lost her once, I will not let that happen again."_

" _So what are we supposed to do? Keep her locked up in here like a caged animal?" Roman asked._

" _Yes," Seth replied matter-of-factly. "It's better than risking her out there."_

" _Listen, The Authority were the ones who locked her up and refused to let her out. Like hell am I gonna do the same. If she wants to go out then I'm taking her out. Triple H kept her prisoner, I'm not gonna let Seth Rollins do the same!"_

 _My eyes widened._

 _Hearing them argue broke my heart, and I knew Roman's words were a step too far. I opened the door and rushed from the bedroom, seeing the two of them facing off, nose to nose, jaws tense and hands fisted at their sides. I didn't like it, not one bit. I couldn't have my boys arguing over something so stupid and petty. We had to stay united, we had to be a strong team._

 _The anger dissipated somewhat when they saw I had entered the room, and they broke apart._

" _You okay, Lily?" Roman asked me._

 _I shook my head. "No, especially whilst you guys are fighting. Look, if it's such a big deal, I'll stay in the apartment. I just thought it'd be nice for the four of us to go out somewhere and enjoy ourselves. After everything that's happened, we deserve to go out and have fun." I approached Seth. "But if you think I should just stay here, then I'll stay."_

 _Seth rubbed the back of his head. "Lily, look I'm not doing this to be spiteful. I just… I worry about you."_

" _And I worry about you," I replied. "You have been so wound up and on edge lately, it's not healthy. A trip out will do us all good. We could do with a little fun. So let's go, let's enjoy ourselves, even if it is just for a day. And the second you sense any danger, we'll leave and come straight back, I promise."_

 _He looked at me thoughtfully, thinking about my words._

" _I agree with the lady," came Dean's voice as he left the bathroom, a towel around his waist whilst he rubbed his wet hair with another. Man, the guy was built! I couldn't resist looking if I was honest. I was a woman after all. "We have spent too long hiding, let's go out and be normal for once. Plus I haven't played the slots in a long time. I'm feeling lucky."_

 _Seth looked at the three of us silently, deliberating our reasons. He finally nodded, caving in. "Fine. I don't like it but we'll go. But the second something is up, we come right back home. No questions asked."_

" _Deal!" we all agreed._

So the fact that we were simply out and about in public was a massive step for the guy. His concern and worry was touching, and I was thankful he had that mindset, but I knew we all needed to loosen him up and have some fun. That's when Dean had an idea.

"Anyone in the mood for a drink and a dance?" he asked. "There's an amazing bar a few blocks away."

Roman smirked. He looked rather pleased with Ambrose's words. "That is the best thing I've heard all day."

"We should let loose, play some pool and have a drink. There's good music there too," Dean added.

"I could go for that," Seth smiled. I squeezed his hand, glad that he was letting go a little. And I agreed; a drink, a dance and some pool sounded like a lot of fun. We had all been so tense lately, what with my failed escape attempt and the raid on the cabin. We hadn't actually had any real fun. And I knew we all needed this, Seth especially.

The bar was only a few blocks down the road. It seemed more like a club really, a massive dance floor in the middle of the room, filled with dancing people. A large bar stood along the far wall, several tables and booths dotted around, four large pool tables stood on the right side of the room. A lot of 50s jazz and 60s rock and roll music blared out from a DJ on the right side of the room, the atmosphere of the place electric. It felt incredibly vintage and old fashioned and cool.

I liked it already!

"This place looks awesome!" Roman shouted over the music.

"Told ya," grinned, Dean. "I always come here."

We headed over to the bar to order drinks. The guys had beers whilst I chose a vodka and coke, it was my favourite. I admired the dancers as the barman prepared our drinks. Everyone was so happy, each with a smile on their faces. It had been forever since I'd had a proper dance and I knew I wanted to get on the dance floor before the end of the day.

Dean handed me my drink as we all made our way over to one of the vacant pool tables. The lunatic had a twinkle in his eye.

"What's that look for, Dean?" I queried with an amused smile.

"Pool tournament," he said. "Winner stays on. Overall loser has to buy the next round of drinks and takeout tonight."

"You're on!" we all agreed. The first match was between Dean and I, and I can admit I lost terribly. I potted only one stripped ball in the time it took Dean to pot all the solid colors and the black ball.

"You got lucky, Ambrose," I moaned, throwing my cue to the floor like a child. "It's just this heat getting to me. I let you win."

Dean laughed. "You live in fucking Florida! Such a poor loser. Come on, Reigns, time to take you down next."

"You wish," Roman said as he racked the balls up again. "Fucking bring it. I'll wipe the floor with your losing ass."

I rolled my eyes, letting them trash-talk. They started their match as I sat down at a table beside Seth. "I don't know which of them is worse," I laughed, turning to look at him. He wasn't looking at me and he wasn't looking at the others, he was scanning the room, his hand straining tightly on his beer bottle. I sighed. He wasn't enjoying himself at all, he was completely on edge, completely alert to everything but us. "Seth, did you hear me?"

"Huh?" he turned to look at me. "Uh… no, did you say something?"

I frowned. "Seth, you need to relax. Come on, we're fine."

I heard Dean shout in annoyance in the background as Roman potted two balls in a row.

"The music is just a little loud, it's hard to hear if anything or anyone is coming," he noted. "I'm just keeping vigilant."

 _Right, I've had enough of this! He is going to have some fucking fun!_

And I knew just how I'd manage that.

I stood up, my hands on my hips, glaring down at him. "As noble and brave as this is, today is about us having fun!" I held out my hand. "Look, we are going to have a dance, and damn it! You will enjoy yourself, Seth Rollins!"

He stared at me with wide eyes and simply grabbed my hand, knowing better than to answer me back whilst in this mood. I grinned widely as he stood.

"Guys, Lily and I are gonna go dance I guess," he said to the others. Roman frowned a little, but they agreed regardless. We headed over to the dance floor whilst they finished their game.

I was willing to do anything to get Seth to enjoy himself. He was becoming overly protective. And whilst I totally got it, we had said today was all about fun. So I'd make sure Seth Rollins loosened up or I'd fucking die trying!

'Cry To Me' by Solomon Burke came on and I started to sway to the music, but he just stood there uncomfortably, not looking at me. I took his hands in mine and began to move him gently, opening him up a little. He began to move his feet a little to the song playing, stepping a little closer to me. I was glad he was taking the encouragement. It was a start.

"That's it, Seth. You're getting it!" I smiled as he twirled me around, a faint grin on his lips.

"I'm not the best dancer," he commented as I started to move my hips in time with the music.

"Neither am I," I explained. "But it's about having a good time, not how you look. Everyone else in here is dancing, they aren't judging you. Just let loose."

He smiled then, twirling me a second time and pulling me flush against him, his hands on my hips, causing me to gasp. "Okay, for you. I'll have fun for you." He tipped me back a bit, making me giggle, moving his body in time to mine.

"That's all I ask," I said as we swayed slowly, my arms snaking around the back of his neck, my fingers playing with his bun at the nape of his neck. "See? Isn't this fun? Just move your hips with the music."

"It is actually," he said, our hips moving in time with each other. "I'm glad you made me do it. You always seem to bring out the best in me, Lily…"

His brown eyes looked down into my blue ones, a look passing between us, a heat moving from one to the other. He brushed his nose over mine as he looked down over me, his breath warm and delicious on my face. His hands tightened on my hips as he moved us, Seth finally taking the lead in the dance.

I didn't know what was happening between us, but the look he gave me wasn't one a friend gives to another. It was one that showed he wanted… more.

I let out a shaky breath.

He twirled me again, pulling me closer till my back was flush against his chest, my ass moving against his crotch to the music. his hands on my waist. It was intimate, close, almost sexual… and that's when I looked across to see Roman watching us intently, his jaw tense, his hands balled into fists at his side. My heart dropped and I felt it again.

Guilt.

I didn't know why, but seeing Roman watch me dance with another man was almost like a betrayal, like I'd been disloyal to the man who protected me at night and kept the bad dreams away. I had no hold over Roman and he had no hold over me. We weren't a couple, we weren't in love, we weren't anything.

So why did it almost felt like cheating, like dancing so intimately with Seth was wrong?

And I knew it was because a part of me wanted my dance partner to be the Samoan.

He stared across the room, his grey eyes sad and confused, almost hurt as he watched us.

I couldn't stop that feeling in the pit of my stomach, the one that told me I should not be doing what I was. The one that told me what I was doing was wrong. I silently thanked god when the song drew to an end and I parted from Seth, offering him a smile.

"Bathroom," was all I said as I ran for the ladies restroom, not looking back at either man. I got to a sink, splashing cold water on my face as soon as I got in there, needing to calm down. I looked at myself in the mirror, a thousand thoughts running through my head.

Why wouldn't the guilt go away?

Why did Seth give me that look?

Why did Roman give me that look?

Why did it hurt me so much to see Roman like that?

Why couldn't the Samoan have danced with me like that?

"Ugh!" I cried, splashing more water on my face, knowing I needed to rationalise my thoughts to give them meaning.

But I knew exactly what was wrong, why dancing with Seth had made me feel so guilty, why seeing Roman so hurt had effected me so much, why I wanted nothing more than to run back to him right now and kiss that sad and confused look from his face.

It finally dawned on me why I felt this way.

I _liked_ Roman Reigns…

* * *

 **A huge thank you to** **WWEaholicTwlightaholic** **,** **KairiAnneYukari21** **, calwitch and** **raaeebrucee** **for reviewing the last chapter. You guys inspire me to write more, so keep the reviews coming, everyone!**

 **Also, just to let you all know my new WWE story has officially gone live! It's called Catch Your Breath, and it's another Shield centred story. So hop on over to my profile and go read now! Don't forget to favourite, follow and review!**


	11. Hooked On A Feeling

**Well hello there! Welcome back, lovely readers. Hope you're all ready for another chapter!**

 **This chapter is named after 'Hooked On A Feeling' by Blue Swede.**

* * *

Roman Reigns's Point Of View

Fuck…

His hands were all over her, his fingers touching her, his body pressed against hers. He was moving against her, dancing against her, holding her in a way I could only dream off.

I loved my brother, but in that moment a small part of me wanted nothing more than to spear him straight through the floor and carry Lily off as my own, letting him know whose she was.

I wanted to scream and lash out the moment we'd finished our pool game and I'd seen them dancing so closely, so intimately, Lily grinding her ass against Seth in a way I could only dream of happening to me. I hated that he had her like that, that he was holding her so tenderly as they moved. It ate me up inside in a way I'd never experienced.

 _I_ wanted to hold her, _I_ wanted to dance with her.

Jealousy coursed through my veins, filling my entire body like a deadly venom.

I'd done everything in my power to keep the feelings I had for Lily away. I'd reasoned with myself, fought with myself internally, I'd even spoken to Dean about it to get a fresh perspective. But nothing I said could hide what was happening. I was crushing on her, and I was crushing hard.

She was beautiful, she was funny, she was kind, she was gentle. Lily Watson was everything a woman should be and I could not get her out of my fucking head. Every time I saw her, every time I lay beside her, every time she cuddled against me as she slept. It only heightened these feelings in my head and my heart, and I was strongly loosing the battle against them.

I thought I could do it, thought I could keep them away.

But then I saw them dance. Then I saw another man holding her in the way I wanted to.

And it broke me.

I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to do my job, I just wanted to get her safe and get her home without question. Easy as piss. But what I didn't expect was the attachment I felt towards her, the yearning to have her near me, the need to be with her at all times. I'd never felt so weak before.

I'd always been single, my job kinda meant I had to be. But it had never bothered me. I'd always been independent and loved the company of my friends and brothers, and the one night stands I'd used to fulfil my sexual needs. But for the first time in my life a woman had got under my skin. I didn't know what to do, it was all so new to me. The feelings were strange, but I liked them and I knew seeing Lily in a new light was good.

But I knew whatever this was with her, it couldn't evolve into anything more.

I knew I could never act on my feelings, as much as I fucking wanted to. My line of work was too dangerous to bring a romantic partner into. I always thought back to Dean and Renee. He was heartbroken and she was gone. And I could never risk myself and especially Lily like that. I'd never put her in such a dangerous position.

But it didn't stop the feelings. It would never stop the feelings. And it didn't stop the jealousy of another man touching her.

It ate me up inside and I hated Seth for a split moment. But he was my brother and my friend, I could never stay mad at him. Still, the envy I felt was strong and I knew she felt it coming from me too, her eyes widening and her body freezing when she saw me looking. She had bolted to the bathroom as quickly as her legs could carry her. I wondered if her toilet needs were genuine or if she had felt anything. A small part of me hoped she did for my sake. But I worried for Seth. Did he like her too? Or was it simply innocent dancing for him?

I didn't have time to ask or think about it. My instant urge was check on Lily, so I rushed to the ladies restroom to see if she was alright.

She was staring at herself in the mirror when I entered the bathroom, her face slightly damp so I knew she splashed cold water up herself. She gasped when she saw me.

"Roman… This is the ladies restroom."

"I just came to see how you are, you left a bit abruptly," I said, approaching her slowly.

"Oh… yes," she stuttered, placing her hair behind her ears. "I, uh, didn't feel great. Don't think the vodka is sitting well in my stomach. Plus mixed with the heat I felt a little sick."

I nodded, rubbing her arm soothingly. "Wanna go back to Dean's place and rest up? It's getting late anyway."

She nodded, biting her lip, watching my hand on her arm carefully. "I think that'd be best."

"Okay, baby girl," I replied. I put an arm around her shoulder and guided her out the bathroom and through the busy crowd in the club till we reached Dean and Seth. I relished the feeling of my skin on hers, knowing it would only be brief. They looked at her with concerned and confused looks when we reached them. "She isn't feeling well. I figured we'd call it a night and get her back home to rest."

"You okay, kiddo?" Dean asked.

"Just feeling a little sick. My stomach hates me right now," she replied.

"Let's get you in a bed and rested," smiled Seth.

xXx

Lily Watson's Point Of View

It seemed my lies and bullshitting worked as the guys took me straight home from the club and settled me into bed. There was no stomach pain and there was no sickness. All there was was confusion, worry and total bewilderment going on in my mind.

I didn't know what the fuck had happened in the club, and neither man had said anything to me outright or absolutely, but their faces and eyes told me everything I needed to know…

Feelings were happening. Good ones and bad ones.

And I knew they were certainly happening on my side.

Dean was my best friend and big brother, Seth was… I wasn't sure in that moment, but Roman was something more. Roman made my heart pound and my hands clammy. He made my stomach do summersaults and my cheeks flush. Roman was the one I liked to sleep beside and he was the one to keep the nightmares away. He kept me safe, he got me out of the cabin, he brought me home when I ran away.

Roman was special.

We made it back to Dean's apartment and I excused myself, heading straight to bed, knowing seeing my friends right then would not aid in my confusion. I needed rest and sleep and to see this with a fresh pair of eyes tomorrow. My mind wasn't logical right now, so I willed myself to sleep, my lips smiling when I felt Roman get into the bed around an hour later, his arm wrapping itself around me as it always did at night.

I was asleep within minutes, the comfort Roman offered me letting my body and mind know nothing bad would happen tonight and that the memories of Randy Orton and his R.K.O would not make an unwelcome appearance. Instead I'd be safe and warm.

xXx

Sunlight drifting through the balcony window of the bedroom woke me the next day, its warm rays falling across my tired form. I stretched out my body, rolling over and seeing the other side of the bed empty. I sighed, wondering where he was, thoughts of the previous day coming back into my mind.

A small part of me wanted to tell him how I felt and get everything out in the open, but my shy side refused to let me. I'd never been one to speak my mind like that and I would never tell a guy how I felt due to embarrassment and timidness. Plus I wasn't a mind reader. How did I know he felt the same way? If I did anything and he turned me down, not only would it destroy me but it was make things incredibly awkward and difficult between us until I was returned to my brother.

I sat up, trying to smooth down my bed-hair, almost too scared to go into the main living area, partly for Roman but also Seth. He was another one my brain had to ponder. What that look was in his eye yesterday, I did not know. Maybe it was the alcohol or the heat of the moment, but it looked almost wanting. Maybe I was looking too much into it. Surely Seth couldn't feel anything too… A part of me didn't want to know, but a part of me had to know for both our sakes.

My thoughts were broken as Roman entered the bedroom wearing shorts and a wife beater, his hair tied back into a low bun, his face a little sweaty.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," he said, seeing I was still in bed. He closed the door behind him.

"I was already awake," I replied, almost too shy to talk, my words quiet. I didn't want him knowing anything was wrong, so I acted as normal as I could in the moment. "Did you go for a run?"

"Yeah, it's harder to stay in shape and keep training in the city like we did at the cabin, so I figured a morning run would be good. It keeps me active and it's a lovely day for it."

I agreed, loving how the sun shone into the room in a morning. "I love how great the weather is here."

"Yeah, it's always perfect," he smiled, taking a seat beside me on the bed. "How are you feeling today?" He pressed his hand to my forehead, feeling my temperature.

 _Huh? Oh shit! I'm supposed to be sick!_

"Oh, erm, much better thanks," I said, biting my lip. "Nothing a good night's sleep couldn't fix."

"Glad to hear it," he replied. "I got you a little something."

My eyebrows furrowed. "You did?"

"I found this on my run. Thought I'd bring it back to make you feel better."

He held out his other arm and in his hand was a flower, tall and long with beautiful white petals. It had speckles of brown on it, a beautiful fragrance filling in my nose. I looked down at it, a smile spreading onto my lips.

"It's a lily…" I said as I took it from his hand, my fingers brushing against his. I held it, looking at it intently. I finally looked up at him. "Where did you get this?"

"In the park," he replied. "I saw it and I knew I had to get it you. From one beautiful lily to another…"

I couldn't stop staring at the flower that was my namesake. It was my favourite flower in the whole world and the thoughtfulness touched me, my heart pounding as I smelt it. It was gorgeous.

"Thank you," I said, and I genuinely meant it. I'd never had such a precious and considerate gift before. "It's beautiful, Roman."

"Lilies are my favourite… always have been," he said softly, and I wondered if there was a hidden meaning behind his words.

"It's perfect," I whispered as his hand slowly came up to stroke my cheek. I closed my eyes at his touch, leaning into his hand…

"PANCAKES!" yelled Dean's voice from the kitchen. "GET THEM NOW BEFORE I EAT ALL OF THEM!"

We both jumped, Roman quickly pulling away, standing up. "You should go get breakfast, it'll help settle your stomach a little. I need to shower." He offered me a wink before exiting the bedroom, leaving me alone with the flower

I sighed, wishing I had the courage to tell him. I set the flower down on my bedside table and changed. Breakfast did sound good and Dean was always able to distract my mind.

I entered the main living area, seeing Seth at the table with a plate of food and Dean attempting to flip pancakes. It fell of the floor of course, Dean adding it to a pile. I frowned, Seth smirking. "That's the pile of pancakes he's dropped so far. Six and counting. I managed to get the only two that survived."

I laughed. "Dean, you need a woman's touch. Here, let me show you."

I took the frying pan and showed him to successfully flip and cook a pancake. He jutted his bottom lip out, the jealousy rife on his face. "Whatever," he sulked, taking the plate of pancakes I'd made him and sitting at the table. I giggled and quickly followed suit.

"How's your stomach?" Seth asked as we ate.

"Much better," I said, sticking to my lie, making it believable.

"Good. I was really worried about you, sweetheart."

I blushed and bit my lip, hoping he didn't mean anything by it. I was having a hard enough time dealing my own feelings for Roman, never mind what was going on in Seth's head.

"Yeah, I think it was just too much drink," I mumbled.

"Well glad to hear you're feeling better," he said, standing up, kissing the top of my head as he passed me to enter the kitchen. My stomach dropped and all of a sudden I wasn't that hungry.

 _Don't be like this, Seth… please…_

I couldn't deal with it. All the little things he did, the tiny bits of affection he bestowed on me, that dance… I couldn't deal with it. I couldn't deal with Roman and Seth at once, my mind was going into overload. I needed to think, I needed to be alone to assess my thoughts and wonder what the fuck was going on in my head.

I excused myself to the bedroom and changed into a t-shirt and some leggings, deciding to take a leaf out of Roman's book and go for a run. Exercise was a great way to clear my head. The last thing I needed was one of them following me, I needed the silence and solitude of my own company. So I quickly scribbled a note on some paper…

 _Guys,_

 _Gone for a run, needed to shift the last of the sickness and wanted some fresh air. I won't be long, will be back within an hour. Don't worry_

 _Lily x_

I placed it on my beside table so they knew where I'd be, not wanting to cause them any worry and went out whilst Seth and Dean argued over the washing up.

* * *

 **Thank you to** **WWEaholicTwlightaholic** **, calwitch,** **raaeebrucee** **and** **StoryLover82** **for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **My newest WWE story is now up too. Go over to my profile and read Catch Your Breath now!**


	12. I Really Like You

**Welcome back, lovely readers!**

 **Hope you've all had a fun weekend! I ran 5K in aid of cancer research today. Its a cause very close to me as my family has been greatly affected by cancer. Please donate to the cause if you can.**

 **Thank you for all the lovely reviews, favourites and follows this story has had. It really does inspire me to continue writing.**

 **Major bit of story progression now, so settle down and enjoy…**

 **This chapter was named after 'I Really Like You' by Carly Rae Jepsen**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

I ran and I ran and I ran, burning up a sweat and forcing my mind to think as hard as it could, assessing every thought it was having and wanting to rationalise all the feelings in my heart. The good ones and the bad ones.

The ones that told me I liked Roman…

The ones that convinced me that perhaps he liked me…

The ones that worried about Seth…

The ones that missed my brother…

The ones that made me just want to go home and not have to deal with everything…

I ran down the Vegas strip whilst keeping a good pace, enjoying the sunshine and light breeze blowing against me, the twin sensations of hot and cold relaxing my tense body from all the friction it was feeling.

It had been the strangest few weeks of my life and I honestly didn't know if I was coming or going anymore. Firstly the fear of my captures and the constant fear of them was something that always kept me on my toes. My whole life was currently dedicated to running from them, and I had no idea when it would ever end. Next was the homesickness, the constant need to be with my brother again and back in a life that was normal and mundane. I missed him so much, I knew I was always safe when John was nearby. And then there was the growing feelings for my captors and theirs for me, friendships, crushes, liking someone you probably shouldn't. I worried over Roman, I panicked over Seth…

My mind was my worst enemy, always fighting against what I wanted.

Why couldn't life be easy?

I just wanted to be back in Florida where nothing exciting happens, where no one chases after me, with no men filling my mind with endless questions.

I wanted simple, I wanted boring, I wanted dull.

I stopped to catch my breath, the run aching my body. I bent over, hands on my knees, brushing my bangs from my forehead. I regulated my breathing again to something normal, wishing I'd brought a bottle of water with me. My mouth was completely dry. It had been hotter than I thought, the exercise not helping this. I pulled out my cellphone to check for the time. I winced when I saw it, mentally scolding myself when I looked at the screen.

34 missed calls, 12 voicemails, 23 texts.

 _ **Where are you?**_

 _ **Fuck, Lily, if you've run away again…**_

 _ **Answer your fucking phone!**_

"Goddamn it," I mumbled to myself. This was just what I needed.

Clearly they hadn't seen my note and I could picture all three of them now going out of their minds with worry, Roman angry, Seth panicked, Dean going insane. But I'd done the right thing this time, I'd told them I was okay, I'd told them I'd be back, I'd told them not to worry. I'd left a fucking message!

 _Fucking men…!_

I sighed in annoyance, knowing I'd have to make my way back to the apartment to sort things out and no doubt calm them down. I knew they were gonna kill me, but they should have read the fucking note. I had done what was right this time, and it wasn't like I was gone forever. All I'd wanted was an hour to myself to think, and now I'd have a mountain of worry and countless arguments to come back to instead.

A part of me didn't want to go back as I knew what I'd face, but I couldn't stress them out. I stood up straight and slowly began to walk back.

I was stressed. I was stressed to fuck. My run had been useless, my mind was no better, and on top of that I was going to have three pissed of Shield members to deal with. Somehow everything had ended up worse. It was not my day and I felt like shit. I just wanted to go to my bedroom, lock the door, pull at my hair and scream.

 _Pissed off isn't the phrase right now, I'm fucking vivid!_

The strip was fairly busy as I made my way back, the constant crowd of people bashing into me not making my attitude any better. I gritted my teeth, not wanting to cause a scene, needing to get back to the apartment without a fight or getting escorted away by the police for bad behaviour. I almost yelled at one woman for getting into my way before a hand in the crowd grabbed my arm and pulled me into an alleyway, pushing me against a wall.

"Where the fuck have you been?!" seethed Roman, his teeth gritted, his jaw tense. He looked pissed.

 _Well he isn't the only one!_

"What do you mean? You should already know, I left a fucking note!" I yelled back. I wasn't in the mood to take this shit. Normally I would let The Shield win as their worries usually revolved around my safety, but I was not feeling my best and was rather happy to fight back on this occasion.

"A note? You should have told us, not left some shitty note. How were we supposed to know you'd left one?" he shouted.

"It wouldn't have hurt you to look. I only went for a run. You had one this morning, why cant I?"

"You should have taken one of us with you, Lily! Goddamn it, why do you insist on going out alone?"

"Because I wanted just one hour to myself where the fucking hounds weren't going to come after me!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing heavily. "Do you know how unbelievably pissed off I am right now? Seth is going out of his mind, Dean is ready to kill you!"

"And I'm not pissed off?"

"We thought you'd tried to leave again!"

I looked at him is disbelief. I was in utter shock. How could they honestly think I'd do that after everything? I had seen how they reacted last time, the hurt I'd brought my friends for leaving without a word. How dare he suggest I'd do something like that again! Did they truly think so little of me?

"Do you really think I'd do that? After what happened before, do you honestly think I'd put you guys through that again? Thanks a fucking lot!"

"Well you'd just upped and left! How did we know where you were?"

"I left a fucking note!" I yelled again, emphasising each word. Was he actually listening?

"And what if you'd been taken? Would the note have told us that? What if Randy Orton or Kane had got their grubby hands on you? How would we have known?" I could see his body getting tenser and angrier.

"I thought you said they wouldn't get me here of all places," I said teasingly. "That I was safe in plain sight."

"Don't test my fucking patience, Lily," he growled.

"Look, they didn't find me. I'm in one piece, and I was heading home. You need to calm the fuck down, Roman!"

And then he flipped in a way I'd never seen the Samoan flip before. I'd officially tipped him over the edge.

"CALM THE FUCK DOWN?" he yelled, suddenly pressing against me, his hands on the brick wall either side of my head. His grey eyes had darkened and I honestly felt terrified, knowing I'd said the completely wrong thing. "When it comes to you I can't calm the fuck down! I worry about you every moment of every day. Every thought, every feeling, it's about you and your safety. _Never_ tell me to calm the fuck down, Lily, because I will never stop fighting when it comes to you. I will never stop fighting for what I care for…"

"Roman, I-"

And then his lips were on mine.

They pressed against mine in a kiss that was so shocking yet so heart meltingly good. It wasn't tender and it wasn't sweet. It was rough and forceful and powerful. My body melted, every hair on my skin standing to attention, every nerve in my body alert, the sudden shock at this show of affection causing me to react this way. My legs turned to jelly, my stomach doing somersaults as butterflies flew around in it in a flurry.

He snaked his hand into my hair, his long fingers holding my head as the other went around my waist. I was grateful, knowing my legs were about to give way at any moment.

I felt his hunger and started to kiss him back, closing my eyes and pulling myself against him to get as close as possible. My lips moved with his, each taking our aggression out on each other through our mouths. His fingers pulled on my hair a little and I relished in the pain having never been so kissed so passionately before.

Every other kiss I'd experienced had been soft and sweet and gentle. Don't get me wrong, I loved that romantic crap, but this kiss was so much more. It was raw, rough, claiming. It was angry, deep harsh. It made me feel things I never had before.

It was completely Roman.

He pulled away, his lips swollen, and looked down at me. Our chests moved quickly as we tried to catch our breaths, our eyes locked on one another. His grey orbs bore down into my blue ones, telling me everything I needed to know.

He felt the same…

He liked me too…

"Never, ever tell me to calm the fuck down when it comes to you," he growled as Dean and Seth rounded the corner. "Because I never will."

"Roman…" I began

"I'm gonna kill you, kid!" Dean shouted as they approached us, Roman taking a few steps back, Seth simply embracing me in a hug, stroking my hair.

"Oh, thank god," he whispered, holding me tightly against his chest. "You're gonna be the death of me, sweetheart."

I took no notice. All I could look at was Roman, and all Roman could look at was me.

That kiss was beyond anything I'd ever expected. Its neediness, its aggressiveness, his assertiveness. It was the greatest kiss I'd ever had in my life and I wanted to experience it again and again till the day I died. It stopped my breath, made my mind spin, and all the anger and annoyance I'd previously felt has evaporated in one single moment.

He'd kissed me, he'd held me as his, and showed me how he truly felt…

Yet as Seth squeezed me tighter, Roman's face changed. His eyes glazed over, the intensity in them suddenly dying and he looked away, his eyebrows furrowed, his face looking as if he was having an internal battle with himself. He looked down at the floor and turned away, brushing his long hair from his face. He looked determined, yet sad. Whatever this internal struggle was, whatever answer he'd come up with to solve it, it did not seem good.

I looked at him in confusion, wanting nothing more than to go to him and see if he was alright. I wanted to hold him close and kiss whatever was going on in his mind away.

"We found her, she's safe… lets just head back," he said, walking away without a thought or a glance at me.

My stomach dropped.

My confusion turned to fear as I watched his back make more and more distance between us, fearsome that his heart was doing the same…

* * *

 **Thank you to** **sebastianm101** **,** **WWEaholicTwlightaholic** **,** **calwitch** **,** **raaeebrucee** **and** **Lilygirl95** **for their reviews. Cheers, guys! Don't forget to favourite, follow and leave me a few words in the review box.**

 **Don't forget to check out my other story, Catch Your Breath**


	13. What Hurts The Most

**Hello!**

 **Another day, another chapter. Get ready for a lot of angst with this one, guys! Don't worry, it will get better. Trust me. The course of true love never did run smooth, after all.**

 **This chapter is named after 'What Hurts The Most' by Cascada.**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

Seth kept me close the entire walk home, my eyes watching Roman's retreating back the whole time. My heart was in my throat and I knew it was close to breaking point. I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know what had happened, and I dreaded to think where this would be going next.

Because after his reaction, I knew it wouldn't be going anywhere good.

I held Seth's hand tightly in mine, but it was because I needed the support. I needed to know I wasn't alone and that The Shield were still there to sustain me whilst my head turned to mush. I needed my friends because I wasn't sure how long I could last whilst Roman was being like this.

It had all been so perfect, so wonderful, so exciting. I'd been given that kiss I'd craved since my feelings had shown themselves to me. I'd gotten what I wanted, the happy ending was within my grasp… but he'd snatched it away last minute.

What could have gone through his head so soon after the kiss that had made him act so harsh and so cold towards me? He'd told me he cared, he told me he wanted to fight for me, he'd given me the greatest fucking kiss of my life! And now where was he? Yards up the road, ignoring me, stressing me, making me feel tiny and pathetic and foolish.

I wanted to run to him. I wanted to hug him and slap him at the same time. I wanted to show my affection, yet scream how much my heart was hurting. I wanted to break down in tears and ask one question.

Why?

Why this reaction? Why this sudden turn? Why kiss me if this was how you were going to be?

"You okay, sweetheart?" Seth asked, sensing the tension coming from my body.

"Erm, yeah," I said as Dean ran past us to catch up with Roman. "I'm fine." Seth was the last person I wanted to burden with such problems, especially after everything that happened during our dance in the club. I was hurting bad enough, I didn't want Seth to hurt too.

"Did Roman say something to you?" he frowned. "You don't seem yourself."

"I'm good, honestly. Just a tiring run," I explained.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" Seth asked.

I looked up at him, staring into his sweet and kind eyes, hating that I had to lie. "Course I would."

"Good. Because I'm always here for you, sweetheart." He kissed the top of my head as we walked silently back to the apartment.

xXx

Roman said nothing to me for the remainder of the day. In fact he said nothing to any of us. He just sat alone, his mind focused elsewhere. I wished I could read minds, wanting just the smallest of clues as to what was going on in his. I hated not knowing.

This wasn't like before when I had an idle crush and was trying to figure out his feelings. He had kissed me. He had physically shown me what he felt and made this situation a lot more complicated. A part of me wished he hadn't locked his lips onto mine. At least then I'd still be in the dark. At least the hope I'd held onto wouldn't have been dashed in such a cruel way.

I just didn't understand any of it.

I excused myself to bed rather early that evening. If the tension in my head wasn't enough to deal with, the tension radiating from the Samoan was stifling. I had to get out of the situation for my own good and my own sanity. I quickly changed into my pyjamas and settled into my bed, awaiting the moment when Roman would come to bed and we'd have to deal with everything.

Only he never came.

Hurt ripped an even bigger hole in my heart as Dean entered the bedroom that night.

I blinked, fighting hard to keep the panic from my voice. "Where's Roman?"

"Sofa," Dean explained as he climbed into the bed. "Since Seth's shoulder needs comfort to finish healing, Roman suggested he get a bed to himself and he'd have the sofa. My fucking apartment and I'm the one who has to share a bed." He settled under the sheets, my mouth letting a tiny whimper escape.

It was complete bullshit.

It had nothing to do with Seth's comfort. Roman just didn't want to face the problem he'd created between us. Panic filled my body, running through my veins till I wanted to scream. Why was he doing this to me, why was he torturing me this way? Why did he kiss me and build up my hopes if he was going to ignore me afterwards? I wanted him and hated him all at the same time.

I couldn't take it anymore. If he wasn't going to confront the situation, then I would. It was the only way I was going to get any peace. Otherwise the atmosphere would be harsh until the day I was reunited with John and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle this for that long. I waited until Dean was asleep before getting out of the bed and tiptoeing my way out of the room.

The living area was dark, lit only by moonlight, but I could see he wasn't on the sofa. The curtains by the balcony blew lightly and I could see the door was open. I stepped closer, seeing him seated on a chair on the balcony, his back to me.

I was anxious to go over there and I almost chickened out and ran back to the bedroom. I was terrified about what I'd face, what he'd tell me, if he'd rip my heart to shreds. But I had to deal with it. I'd only suffered like this for a few hours and it was destroying me. If I had to go on in this manner for weeks, I wouldn't know how to cope.

I took a deep breath, relaxed my shoulders and took tentative steps towards him.

He said nothing as I stepped onto the balcony, but I noticed his body tense up as I took the seat beside his. I looked out at the Vegas strip lit up in all its glory, willing the bravery and confidence I needed to appear.

The silence was deafening.

I played with my hands nervously in my lap, Roman staying stock still. I had so much I wanted to say to him, but now I was actually here, it was like my voice had retreated and ran away. I willed the words to come out but my lips stayed locked shut. My heart was in my throat and I fought to swallow it down as I played with my fingers even more, the palm of my hands clammy.

 _Get it together, Lily!_

I breathed in and out slowly. I couldn't look at him… because if I did I knew I'd burst into tears. But I had to talk to him, I had to get this over and done with. I'd lose my sanity if I didn't.

I shivered, the night time breeze causing goosebumps along the skin on my arms. I could have sworn he glanced over at me as within seconds he was holding his hoody in my direction.

"Thank you…" I whispered, taking it from him. I slipped it on and zipped it up, my gut dropping as its warmth surrounded me, encapsulated me, made me feel safe. I closed my eyes to will the tears away. I couldn't let them fall, not right now. I had to stay strong and keep it together.

"You're welcome," he mumbled.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine," he replied.

"At least one of us is…" I whispered and I saw him wince at my words from the corner of my eye. I wrapped my arms around myself, embracing the warm hoody more. I closed my eyes for a few moments then opened them to look at him, the tears I'd fought so hard to keep away falling silently down my cheeks. I brushed them away but new ones fell in their place, my skin saturated. "… because I am far from fine right now."

He looked down sadly, and I knew he felt pain too. That was the worst thing – neither of us was enjoying this. We were both suffering in some way. He finally looked up at me, those big grey eyes staring at me so intently I felt I could get lost in them forever. They widened slightly as they saw my tears sparkle under the moonlight. "Lily…"

"Why?" I asked at long last. "Why, Roman? That's all I want to know. You kiss me, make me feel like the most special girl in the world, then just up and leave? It hurt so much."

He looked away again, his fists tense at his side. "The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."

"How could it not? It's made me question everything. You said such wonderful things to me. You showed that you like me as much as I like you!" He winced again. "You gave me hope, and then dashed it away." The tears continued to fall silently.

He looked back to me, hesitating before sitting forward and leaning towards me. He gently lifted his hand, cupping my face and softly wiped away the tears with his thumb. I closed my eyes and relished his touch. I shouldn't have; it was like pure torture. But if this was going to end like I thought it would, I had to enjoy his touch one last time.

"I did it to protect you," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but I can't put you in the danger a relationship like ours would bring. My job isn't safe, I make enemies every single day and risk my life every moment that I work. It's one thing to put myself in jeopardy, but you? Lily I could never risk you like that."

"You wouldn't be risking me if I chose it," I reasoned.

"Yes I would," he replied. "Renee chose it too, and look what happened there. She's gone, and we have no idea if she's dead or alive. I saw what it did to my brother. I saw the pain and the hurt that it brought him every day. And he's still not right. Over a year later the situation still eats him up everyday. I can't put myself through that and I certainly can't put you through that if anything were to happen to me."

"I don't care," I said, opening my eyes and looking into his. "I can risk it."

"But I can't," he said solemnly. "I could never live with myself if something happened to you. You mean way too much to me, Lily. You and your safety is everything." His thumb continued to stroke my cheek as he leaned in closer. Before long he was kneeling beside me, his forehead pressed against mine. "We can't, Lily."

"Roman… please…" I was almost pleading.

"I'm sorry. This is for the best. I won't let what happened to Renee happen to you."

I started to sob then, no longer able to hide my emotions. He held me close to his chest, rubbing my back as I let my sadness out.

He was the most special man in the world to me. My feelings weren't love, but they were damn near close to love as they could get. To think that I could not be with him tore my heart to shreds; the hole that had been building in it had well and truly engulfed it. It felt empty there now, like it had never existed.

My heart was his, and if he didn't want it then there was no point in even having one.

I pulled back. "Then why kiss me? Why do it if you had no intension of it going any further?"

"Because I couldn't go through life not knowing what it was like. Call it spiteful, call it selfish, but I had to kiss you at least once. I'd regret it for the rest of my days if I didn't."

"I just wish it could have become something more," I said, wiping my nose. "If I'd have known you were gonna friend-zone me I'd have never let you do it."

He looked down at me, softly stroking my arm. "We're beyond the friend-zone, Lily. I can't be with you, but I can never switch my feelings off. I'll protect you more than ever, I'm never gonna let anything happen to the woman I care about beyond anything in this world."

"So it's all the feelings of a relationship but none of the perks," I said, though it was more to myself. I looked at his chest, avoiding eye contact. The feelings were there, the want was there, the undying need to be together was there… but an actual relationship never could be. "That's what hurts the most."

His head dropped down, sadness overtaking him. I knew tears were falling from his eyes, a few of them dropping onto his chest. "This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do…"

I didn't listen. I simply pulled away and walked silently to my bedroom, leaving him on the balcony to see my retreating back.

* * *

 **A huge thanks to** **calwitch** **,** **raaeebrucee** **, and my guest reviewer for their reviews on the last chapter. I bloody love you guys! Keep the reviews coming lovely readers. It always inspires me to continue writing when I know you guys are enjoying it.**


	14. Smooth

**Hi, folks!**

 **Hope you're enjoying the story so far. The follows, favourites and reviews for this story have all been so wonderful, so thank you to each and every one of my readers. I love you all!**

 **This chapter is named after 'Smooth' by Santana**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

When I opened my eyes the next morning, I immediately wanted to shut them again. I wanted to block out the world, retreat into myself and not deal with things. No Authority, no Shield, no Roman Reigns. Just Lily Watson. Just me, all alone. That way there could be no bickering, no sadness, no confrontation.

But as I looked around, everything that was happening was completely real.

The bedroom was real, the Vegas sunshine seeping through the curtains was real, the empty space beside me where Dean had been and where Roman should be was real. This was happening whether I liked it or not.

I rubbed my face with my hands as memories of last night flooded my mind, and I was trying my hardest to push them away. I didn't want to deal with the fact that Roman wanted me but would never have me. That he would let me go on feeling the way I felt but could do nothing about it.

I wanted to wipe yesterday out completely. It was the best and worst day of my life, and I wished it had never happened. I wanted to go back to being the girl who pondered over his feelings but didn't know where he stood. At least I could live in my own fantasy world then. At least I'd be none the wiser and wouldn't be hurting like I was. Anything was better than this.

But the most annoying thing about it was that his reasoning was sound. It made so much sense, and I got why he was doing it. He wanted to protect me, he wanted to make sure I was safe, even if it meant we could never be together. As much as it killed me to accept it, I had to.

Roman was never going to be with me… and it killed me.

I sighed, sitting up and straightening out my bed hair, neatening up my bangs. I reached for some clothes and got dressed, apprehensive about entering the living area and facing the music. I'd left quite abruptly last night and I knew it would have hurt him.

 _Maybe I wanted to hurt him like he had me…_

A tiny part of that statement was true, and I almost wanted him to feel the pain I had. But I'd left for my own sake, for my own dignity. I'd already cried in front of him, I couldn't let him watch as the situation ate away at me. I had to be stronger than that, had to show that a man would not bring me down in such a way. I was a strong woman, I had to keep that front.

So with my head held high, I slowly entered the living area.

He wasn't in there, and my body visibly relaxed. Dean was sat flicking through the TV channels as Seth stood in the kitchen area making coffee.

"Morning, sweetheart," Seth smiled as he saw me. "Coffee?"

"Yes please," I nodded, dropping myself onto the sofa beside Dean. "Where's Roman?"

"My room," Dean answered, settling on some sports show. "He's making a call to your brother, keeping him updated."

"I see…" I replied as Seth brought over our drinks. He sat on the chair opposite the sofa as I sipped on my coffee mindlessly. I welcomed the caffeine, closing my eyes as the warm drink slid down my throat. It was soothing, settling my nervous stomach a little.

"Did you sleep well?" Seth asked. "I've heard Dean is all elbows when he sleeps."

"Hey!" said Dean, frowning as he watched his show. "I just like to get comfortable."

"Yeah, I slept fine," I replied. This was, of course, utter bullshit. Not only had memories of mine and Roman's encounter plagued my head, but the nightmares had returned. Randy Orton's R.K.O to me on the day I was taken flooded my mind several times throughout the night, causing me to wake up each time. My theory had been right after all. Roman kept the nightmares away, and as soon as he was gone, they made their unwelcome return.

The sound of the bedroom door opening caused my body to tense up, something which did not go un-noticed by Seth. He frowned, but didn't question it as Roman entered the living area.

"How's Cena?" Dean asked as I turned to look at the Samoan for the first time since our conversation. He looked tired and not himself at all. This was affecting him worse than it was me.

"Good," Roman replied, sitting on the other chair in the living area. "He's glad to know you're well, Lily."

He finally looked at me, his eyes filled with sadness and misery. I looked back, wanting nothing more than to kiss the unhappiness away. But I knew where I stood, I knew it could never happen. I simply nodded, taking another sip of my coffee.

Sensing the tension in the room, Dean stood up. "Look, Roman and I are gonna go out and fetch some supplies, there's no food in this damn apartment. You two gonna be okay here?" He looked at Seth and I.

"We'll be fine," Seth smiled as I nodded. Maybe sometime away from Roman would help.

"Good," Dean replied as he and Roman proceeded to put their shoes on, collecting some money from Dean's wallet. "Take good care of her, Rollins."

Roman stood in front of me and I closed my eyes as he stroked my hair, the feel of his fingers on me bringing a sweet torture. "Stay safe, okay?"

"Okay…" I whispered, relishing his touch. I opened my eyes and he was gone, the two Shield members swiftly leaving the apartment.

I finished my coffee quickly, standing up and taking my empty cup to the sink, leaning on the counter for a few moments to catch my breath. I hated this, the whole uncomfortability, the tension between us, the obvious chemistry that we could never make use of. It was stifling, it was heartbreaking, it felt shit!

I felt Seth move behind me. "Lily, are you really okay?"

I turned round to face him, plastering a fake smile on my face. "I'm good. Just homesick."

"Then why did you tense up when Roman entered?"

"Erm… just a little anxious over how my brother was. Was just a bit nervous to hear news from home. Just glad they're all okay."

He nodded, seemingly believing my lie, or at least acting like he did. I could never tell Seth the truth. I still hadn't got to the bottom of what had happened in the club a few nights ago, I wasn't going to burden him with Roman problems.

He rubbed my arm. "I know you miss him. You'll be home soon."

I nodded. "I know."

"Hey, I know a way to cheer you up," he smiled, moving to the fridge. "You like smoothies?"

Smoothies?

I loved smoothies! John, Nikki and I made them all the time back home. Florida was a hot place to live so a refreshing fruity smoothy always went down a treat on the days where the heat became too much.

"I'm listening," I smirked curiously.

He pulled out bags and trays of fruit that lay in the bottom of the fridge, his eyebrows wriggling. "Why don't we have some fun?"

"I like where this is going, Seth Rollins," I smiled as he placed the fruit on the counter, fishing through the cupboards until he found the smoothy maker.

I knew this would be good for me. It would be a little light hearted fun that would distract my mind and put the very much needed smile back on my face. I was feeling low, so any bit of happiness I would welcome. This was what was so wonderful about Seth. He always put me first and made me feel so much better.

He finally found the smoothy maker and put it on the counter as I looked through the fruit on offer. Strawberries, rasberries and blueberries looked like a nice combination to me.

"These three a good choice?" I asked, showing him what I'd chosen.

"An excellent choice. Couldn't have picked better myself," he replied as he removed the lid of the smoothie maker. I proceeded to empty the fruit onto a chopping board as Seth searched the freezer for ice cubes. Luckily he found some and emptied several into the maker.

"Did you make smoothies back home," he asked as we started to chop the fruit into smaller pieces.

"John and I did it all the time. It's a Cena/Watson favourite in the house," I smiled, dropping the small pieces of strawberry on top of the ice.

"How come you don't share the same surname?" he asked curiously, his fingers brushing over mine as he handed me more fruit. My skin tingled.

"Same mom, different dads," I explained. "John is my half brother."

"Makes sense," he said as we put the last of the fruit into the maker. "Well I hope doing this will relieve at least a little of your homesickness."

Damn it! Why did he have to be so sweet and caring? Seth was just a wonderful human being and a fantastic friend. I didn't want to breach the subject of our dance this soon after the Roman incident, but I knew I'd have to discuss it with him soon. It felt wrong for me to accept all his kindness until I got to the bottom of our situation.

I looked over at him and noticed that he was about to press the go button on the machine, but at the same time, I also noticed that the lid wasn't on. My eyes widened.

"No, Seth!"

It was too late.

He pressed the button and strawberries, blueberries and raspberries flew everywhere. The mixture covered the walls, ceiling, counters, floor, not to mention Seth himself and, much to my disapproval, me.

I began to scream as the mixture covered the kitchen. I ran as fast as I could to reach the machine, pressing the stop button when I got there. The machine stopped moving and the flying mixture came to a stand still.

We were absolutely covered from head to toe!

We both just stood there, still like statues and in complete shock. It was in our hair, all over our clothes, all across our faces. Don't even get me started on the state of the kitchen. It was an absolute mess.

We finally looked at each other, our eyes taking in the madness around us and burst into fits of laughter. It was the first time I'd genuinely laughed in days, and our voices filled the apartment, giving the place a happy vibe again.

"Well that could have gone better," Seth laughed, placing a hand on my shoulder. He raised his index finger, brushing some of the smoothie off my cheek and placing it in his mouth. I couldn't stop the blush that appeared. "Tastes good though."

"Dean is gonna kill us," I said. "We need to shower and clean up."

"Such a waste of good smoothy too," he said as he reached for some towels and sponges. We filled a bucket with soapy water and began to scrub away the mess.

Sure it hadn't gone to plan, but I honestly felt uplifted and a little better. My smile was real and I'd enjoyed myself more than I thought I would. "Thank, Seth," I said as I cleaned the counters.

"What for?" he asked, scrubbing the floor.

"Putting the smile back on my face."

He smiled and stood, walking over to me and placing a soft kiss on top of my head. "Anything for you, sweetheart. Go shower, I can finish up in here."

"You sure?" I asked.

"Positive," he said, licking his lips to remove the smoothy kissing my hair had put on him.

I rushed into the bathroom and showered quickly, changing into clean clothes. Seth had finished the kitchen when I re-entered. It was spotless, as if nothing had happened. He winked at me as he passed by me, going for his own shower.

We opted to sit on the sofas with coffee in the end, smoothies obviously a terrible idea. It had been insanely fun though, and it was easy to laugh over the situation…

Until Dean and Roman burst into the apartment in a panic.

Seth and I both stood, looking at them.

"We need to leave," Dean said as Roman rushed around, throwing supplies into bags.

"Woah, what's happened?" Seth asked with concern, our previously good mood disappearing in an instant. The Hounds were suddenly on high alert.

"The Authority is in town," Dean replied as he gathered some clothes. "We just missed being seen by Kane and J and J. We need to leave, let them realise we aren't here before we can come back safely."

"What? I asked, panic lacing my voice, my breathing getting short. "How?"

"No fucking idea," Dean replied as Seth rushed to pack food. "But they ain't stopping till you find you, kiddo. So we need to go."

I thought we'd be safer here. The city was huge and miles away from anywhere they had caught us before. How were they managing to find us? They were never going to stop till they had me, till I was prisoner and locked in that hell hole again. My body began to shake as I struggled to keep calm. I liked it here; life had some normalcy in Vegas. I didn't want them to ruin that.

I was suddenly wrapped in Roman's arm, pressed against his chest as he rubbed my back, resting his chin on top of my head. I didn't have time to think how torturous being this close to him was. I just needed the love and concern from someone I cared about. I leaned into him, wrapping my arms round his waist as I closed my eyes.

"Don't worry, baby girl. I won't let them get you. I promise," he whispered, and I knew he meant it. Anything Roman said to me, he always meant it and gave me the truth. It was one of his many redeeming qualities.

"I can't go back to them, Roman," I said quietly. "I can't go through that again."

"And you won't. I'm never gonna let that happen."

It didn't take long for the bags to be packed. I pulled away from Roman and we rushed out the door, Dean locking up the apartment. I knew we'd only be gone from the place until we knew The Autority had left Vegas, but part of my felt sad that we had to leave it for any amount of time.

We rushed outside, hopped into the car and drove.

* * *

 **A huge thanks to** **sebastianm101** **,** **Lilygirl95** **,** **KairiAnneYukari21** **,** **raaeebrucee** **and my 2 guest reviewers for their lovely words on the last chapter. Sorry I can't thank the guest reviewers personally, so if you leave your name next time you review, I can thank you properly next time.**

 **Also don't forget to check out my other story 'Catch Your Breath'**


	15. The Girl Is Mine

**Hello, lovely readers!**

 **Welcome back, hope you've all had a lovely weekend and are getting ready for Battleground tonight. I can't wait for it! It's gonna be epic.**

 **Let's have a bit of drama now, shall we?**

 **This chapter is named after 'The Girl Is Mine' by Michael Jackson**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

"Did The Authority see you?" Seth asked as the black Land Rover urgently sped down the highway and out of the city.

"No, not that I could tell anyway," Dean replied as he drove, his eyes fixed firmly on the road. "They didn't react to us being close by, and I know Kane would love to get his hands on us. I think we avoided them just in time."

I sat in the back beside Seth, wringing my hands nervously in my lap, trying my very hardest to keep my breathing calm. The last thing we needed right now was for me to go into a mad panic and stress everyone out in this already stressful situation. That would get us nowhere. Seth suddenly took my hand in his, sensing the tension coming from my body. I looked over and smiled at him, silently thanking him. He gave it a gentle squeeze, linking my fingers with his.

"Where we heading?" Roman asked from the front passenger seat.

"Just drive till be find a motel, I guess," Dean replied as the town slowly faded away into the distance, buildings being replaced by desert as we left it behind. "We'll only need a night away. They won't stay for long once they've scanned the city. They'll soon move on once they realise we aren't there. They just want to find Lily, they won't hang around. Then we can go back."

I watched the world going by, trying to remember the last normal day I'd had, the last day I'd lived where there wasn't problems coming from The Authority or a Shield member. A day where life had been mundane, boring and held no drama. I racked my brain but I couldn't remember. Not a single instance came to mind. This was my life now. This was how each day went. I could never escape it; I just had to learn to cope.

The road emptied as we moved further from the city until it was only us left, driving along in the Vegas sunshine. Dean put the AC on, cooling the car down, which in turn lessened my anxiety, the cold air refreshing on my warm skin. We drove in relative silence, the only noise coming from the radio playing lightly in the background. Dean tapped the steering wheel to the beat and Seth hummed along, everyone trying to somehow distract themselves from the bigger picture. I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes, wondering if sleep would help me escape. Even a short nap could do me the world of good…

"Shit!" Dean yelled. My eyes shot open to see a car in front of us, heading our way. It almost crashed into us, Dean swerving the car to the right and off the road to avoid it.

"What the fuck?" Roman yelled as we headed onto the dessert land, the strange car following us. "It's still coming, Dean."

Soon a second joined it and then a third. My heart was in my throat as all three cars chased us down and I knew that something just wasn't right. We fight to escape then get involved in some car chase… I knew exactly who they were.

"They've found us, haven't they?" I asked as Dean drove as fast as the car would go.

Seth and Roman looked to each other, neither saying a thing, silently answering my question. I closed my eyes, knowing the worse was yet to come, my stomach doing flips. The Authority had tracked us down and they were not stopping until they had us.

Seth squeezed my hand in his again, looking at me in reassurance. "We won't let them get you. It's going to be okay, Lily."

I appreciated his optimism but it did nothing for me. I knew we had no chance. We had one car, they had three, with who knows how many people inside. It was only a matter of time before they got us.

"Hold on tight," Dean said as he shot the car left. One of their cars skidded too far, spinning out, but the other two followed us, the third one righting itself and soon catching up. We drove and drove, going as fast as we could, outrunning them until one of their cars sped up and caught us, stopping in front of us. Dean did his best to avoid it, but the wheels were having none of it. We began to spin out of control, the tyres not holding well against the dusty desert land. When the car finally came to a standstill, the engine had cut out, all of us falling silent as we caught our breaths. The three cars all parked a hundred yards in front of us.

We knew we were done for.

"Fuck…" Seth mumbled.

"What do we do?" I asked, watching as their cars emptied, Authority members making themselves known. Kane, Randy Orton, Big Show, Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Erik Rowan, Luke Harper and The Ascension made their appearance. I recognised each one from my time as prisoner. Each one frightened me to my core.

"We're pretty outnumbered," Roman said. "Pretty sure I can guess where this is going."

"Not in our favour?" Seth chuckled nervously. "We're screwed. Three of us against nine of them, it's gonna be one tough fight."

My head shot to look at him, my mouth hanging open. Surely they weren't going to actually go out there and fight those guys…

"They want a fight, lets give them a fight," Dean smirked, his body twitching, his lunatic side coming out. "They have the upper hand anyway. May as well go out in a blaze of glory. What do you boys say?"

Roman and Seth looked at each other and smirked.

"I do love a good fight," Seth said.

"And it's been a while. We might be a bit rusty but it could be fun," Roman added.

 _Whoa! Hold the fucking phone…_

"They'll destroy you," I said with a whimper. "You cannot seriously be thinking of going out there." No, I could not let my boys go out and sacrifice themselves for me in a battle that they blatantly could not win. I refused to! We were a team, Roman, Seth, Dean and Lily, the four of us together. I couldn't watch our foursome turn into a onesome and let The Authority decimate them. I couldn't survive without them, I needed them. And just the thought of Roman getting hurt made me want to scream.

If anything happened to him, even after everything we had gone through. It would destroy me. We weren't together but my heart and feelings felt otherwise. I could not let him go out there and forgo himself for me.

Dean pulled the keys out of the ignition and handed them to me, looking round at me. "The engine has cut out but the car still works fine. Anything happens, drive faster then you've ever driven a car before. Head to Florida, head back to your brother, and don't look back. Understand?"

"Please, don't do this," I said, tears building in my eyes.

"Understand?" he repeated, his eyes stern.

"I understand," I replied as I took the keys from him.

He smirked. "We've said all along, kid, we're here to protect you. And that's just what we plan to do."

"Dean…" I whispered as Roman turned around, his eyes looking deeply into mine, silently telling me everything I needed to know. He took my hand in his, kissing it softly.

"Stay here, stay quiet," he whispered. "And please be safe."

Tears slipped down my cheeks as they all left the car, shutting their doors and standing in front of the Land Rover, The Authority making their approach. I held my breath, watching as they walked further and further away, hating that they were doing this for me. I wasn't worth it, I was just some girl they'd been ordered to bring home. They should not be risking themselves for me like this.

 _They're idiots but I fucking love these men…_

Both teams met each other in a stand off, The Shield clearly outnumbered. They didn't stand a chance. Both opposing sides were talking, but I could not hear what they were saying, I could only see the movement of their lips. All went silent before everyone moved into action and the fight began. I gasped, clasping my hand against my mouth to stop from screaming. Roman went straight for Orton and Kane as Seth faced Barrett and Sheamus, Dean fighting Big Show and The Ascension. There were too many men for me to follow what was happening, fights occurring all over the place. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to shout out and call my hounds back to me.

 _My precious hounds…_

I was stuck in this stupid car whilst they were risking their lives for me…

No, I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't let them go out there alone. I was not going to sit back and let the Shield lose and The Authority take me so damn easily. Fuck it, I was gonna go out there and fight alongside my friends. I was no damsel in distress, I was a fighting woman and I was gonna show them I meant business.

My eyes widened, spotting Harper and Rowan heading for the Land Rover. I ducked down behind the front passenger seat until I was out of sight, waiting for their approach. As soon as I knew they were close enough, I threw my door open, hitting Rowan square in the face, knocking him to the floor out cold. I shot out my seat as Harper tried to grab me, rolling onto the dusty floor. I ducked as his hands shot out towards me, running as fast as my legs could take me as he chased me down.

I ran and I ran, fighting through the pain it was causing my legs, Harper far faster than me. But I didn't let it stop me, I was never going to let these men stop me.

"Get here, girly," he yelled as he reached for me, only to gasp when Roman hit him with a superman punch from nowhere. He fell down, Roman looking at me with an urgent fear.

"Lily, what the fuck are you doing? Get back in the car!" he yelled, quickly punching an approaching Kane.

"They came for me, it wasn't safe in the car," I said as Sheamus drew near to him from behind. "Get down!" I yelled, surprising myself as Roman ducked and I hit Sheamus square in the jaw, knocking him unconscious. My fist stung from the impact, but I was in shock that I'd actually helped in the fight.

Roman stared in astonishment. "Baby girl, you never fail to surprise me," he laughed. "Now get back to the car. There's no one there now, you need to hide. Seth, Dean and I will deal with the rest."

I nodded, knowing it was the safest option. Sure' I'd knocked out Sheamus, but there were bigger and badder men out there and I wouldn't stand a chance against them. I needed shelter, so I bolted, running through the fighting. I looked, seeing Dean had the upper-hand over The Ascension, Seth helping him out by curb stomping Connor.

I jumped over the unconscious body of Harper as I neared the car, smiling as I almost reached it…

And then someone suddenly grabbed me.

I screamed as the arms of Randy Orton wrapped around my waist, holding me to him for everyone to see.

"ENOUGH!" he yelled, the fighting ceasing almost immediately, every conscious person stopping their movements, looking towards us.

"Lily!" Seth shouted as he saw me, his feet ready to run.

"One move and I break her fucking neck," Orton threatened, one hand around my waist, the other snaking around my neck. Seth skidded to a halt, staying exactly where he was. No one dared to move.

I tried to remain calm as he held me to him, my back against his chest. I kept my breathing calm, too frightened to move a muscle or else he hurt me. Or worse, them. The Shield were torn; I could see in their eyes the choice they were trying to make. Either run to me or stay where they were in case Orton came through on his promise.

I could hear him snigger from behind me, his devilish laugh filling my ears. He had everyone just where he wanted them. "We have what we came for, Cena's sister is ours. Now the three of you go quietly or it'll only take one call for more reinforcements to appear. And they will be far worse then we are. Your choice."

"We're going nowhere," Seth growled and I could see he was desperate to get to me. They all were, Roman's eyes never leaving Orton and I.

"Wrong choice," Randy said as I decided to take no more of this shit. I didn't want to go back with him so I attempted to make a run for it. I pulled and fought to get away, kicking and wriggling to make him loose me. It was pointless; his strength was far greater than mine. He held me tighter, whipping me round to face him. "You wanna stop that, darling. Wouldn't wanna break that beautiful neck of yours."

I heard Roman growl so I knew Randy had too, his face smug and knowing. "Ah… looks like your little boyfriend doesn't like how I talk to you," I whispered. "Guess he wont like this either. Let's piss him off a bit, shall we?"

And before I knew what was happening Randy had pressed his lips to mine, kissing me deeply, my body too shocked to move.

 _What the fuck…?_

I wanted to gag at the fact this vile man, the person who had started my nightmares and haunted them constantly, was actually kissing me. He held me to him, my hands pressing against his chest to try and push away. Yet again his strength won out and I was unable to escape. He kissed me deep and he kissed me hard, a muffled scream coming from me as he slipped his tongue past my lips…

The noise I heard next shocked every last person around us to the core, both Shield and Authority.

Roman stood, his feet planted to the floor, his fists tight. All of a sudden he threw his head back, letting out an almighty cry. Randy pulled away from me to look as Roman looked at him, his eyes dark, his mouth snarling. The man looked dangerous, I'd never seen him like this before. He ran, launching himself at us, hitting Randy Orton with a powerful spear, The Viper, completely destroyed. He let me go and fell to the floor, his head ringing.

"SHE IS MINE!" Roman shouted dominantly, jumping on Orton and punching him repeatedly. "She is _mine_ and NO ONE takes her from me!"

Seth and Dean took this as their cue to continue the fight, defeating each leftover Authority member they could find until not a single one remained, each out cold on the floor.

I watched in shock as Roman punched a bloody Orton repeatedly on the floor, and I knew it wouldn't be long till he killed the man. I feared for his sanity, worried for Roman and what he could possibly do. He'd only regret it later if he wasn't stopped. So I rushed over to him, tapping his shoulder tentatively.

"R-Roman… please…" I whispered, a little afraid of the Samoan and my own life. I had never seen him so angry or so violent before. Reigns was pissed, this had thrown him over the edge and I was worried he wouldn't stop until he had completely destroyed his opponent. I needed to bring him back, I needed him to be the big, loveable Roman Reigns that I knew.

His head whipped round at my touch, his teeth bared. I gasped, recoiling my hand, my eyes wide. His face soon relaxed when he saw it was me, his body soon calming. He stood and I backed away a few steps, apprehensive as too his current mood.

I held my breath, wondering what he would do. He was pissed off, fuming and seemed dangerous. I didn't know if it was safe to be this close to him whilst he was in this mood. So I kept eye contact, needing to know what his next move was.

He looked at me closely, his eyes taking me in. He took a step towards me and I stood my ground. He slowly approached me, my body relaxing as he wrapped an arm around my waist. His other hand tangled itself in my hair as he pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that took my breath away.

This was unlike our previous one. That one had been angry, aggressive and forceful. This one was soft, loving, needy. His lips caressed mine as he held me to him, my arms snaking around his neck, basking in his warmth. His tongue slipped past my lips, brushing against my own tongue, my body holding itself as close to him as possible, letting him claim me, wanting him like an addict.

I needed this. I needed him… and he needed me, pouring every feeling and ounce of affection into the kiss. This wasn't just a crush anymore, this wasn't me liking him insanely. I loved him, and I knew I had to be with him no matter what. No one could tare us apart now. Not even Roman himself.

He gently pulled away, his lips swollen, pressing his forehead to mine. He fought to catch his breath as his thumbs rubbed circles into my hips. "No one takes away what is mine…" he whispered as Dean and Seth approached. "And I'll make sure no one ever does again."

"Roman," I smiled.

"We need to go," Dean said as we pulled apart. "It won't be long till they're all conscious again."

We nodded and I handed Dean the car keys. Roman said nothing, he just held me to him, refusing to let me go, and I knew in that moment he was never going to let me go again. I was his now, he'd said it himself. He'd finally realised what we both knew all along – we could never be apart.

But as I looked at the sad and lost look on Seth's face as he stared at us, I could tell he knew it as well. Sadness shot through me as I watched his heart breaking right in front of me.

* * *

 **I just had to put that loud cry Roman does in his matches into the story. I bloody love it when he does it!**

 **A huge thanks to** **sebastianm101** **, Lilygirl95, Calwitch,** **raaeebrucee** **and my guest reviewer for your kind words. You guys rock and I love you all. Keep the reviews coming! I love hearing what you lovely lot have to say.**


	16. My Love

**Hello, lovely readers!**

 **Hope you're all well. I'm still reeling from BattleGround and the awesome return of The Undertaker, so here's another chapter to calm us all down.**

 **This is the chapter where the M rating really comes into play. There's some sexy times ahead, folks. You have been warned.**

 **This chapter is named after 'My Love' by Sia. It's my favourite love song of all time!**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

Roman had hardly let me go as we made our way back to the apartment, content with knowing The Authority had done their search of Vegas and would hopefully not be returning any time soon. He kept an arm around my waist or my hand in his at all times, refusing to let me out of his sight.

The fight with The Authority and the moment that had taken place with Orton had broken something in Roman. He was not the same man as before, he was no longer the man who could put me aside because it was the safer option. Seeing what Randy had done to me had destroyed anything he'd previously forced himself to feel. He knew now that he couldn't stay away from me, and I couldn't stay away from him.

I would be taken by others if not, and he wouldn't be able to stand it. We needed each other, we had to be together. We couldn't function if we weren't.

We all made our way silently up to the apartment, entering and closing the door behind us. Dean switched on the TV, Seth avoiding us and heading straight to the kitchen.

Seth's lost and broken face would be forever etched into my mind, the memory of it causing sadness to well up in my heart like crazy. We still hadn't spoken properly about what happened in the bar all those days ago, and now he had seen Roman claim me as his in a dominant and prevailing way.

I didn't know what he was feeling, but his reaction had not been good. He was hurting and I wanted to make it right at the next opportunity we had.

"Do you guys mind if Lily and I go talk in private?" Roman asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Go for it, dude," Dean replied, Seth saying nothing. Roman squeezed my hand, leading us to the guest bedroom.

We needed to talk, we needed to discuss this entire situation. Our feelings and thoughts had to be aired so that we were both clear and on the same page. After what had just happened, I couldn't have him getting cold feet and backing away from all this again.

Once we were in the bedroom, I turned to face him. "Right, Roman, we-"

I was immediately cut off by his lips on mine as he pushed me against the wall. His kiss was hot and intense, my stomach doing flips at the intimacy of the moment. I kissed him back as his hands ran up my body, my own tangling in his long black hair, pulling him closer if it were even possible.

His body pressed against mine as he tore his lips from mine, moving them to kiss down my neck, nipping at the skin and causing me to gasp, my eyes rolling to the back of my head at the feelings this man was eliciting from me.

It was hot, it was raunchy and it was passionate, the Samoan swiftly moving his hands to grab my legs, wrapping them around his waist. He picked me up and lay me on the bed, crawling till he was over me, returning his lips to mine.

I groaned into the kiss, spurring him on to deepen it, his tongue making its way past my lips and tangling with my own. His hands moved across my body, moving over my covered breast, squeezing it gently.

"Roman…" I moaned, causing him to smirk.

"You have no idea how many times I've dreamt of you moaning my name like that. It's so much better in real life."

Oh god, this man was magical. He was sexy, hot, gorgeous, everything I could ever have wished for. And as much I didn't want to stop him, I knew we needed to discuss everything and talk it out. There would be time for this stuff later.

"Roman," I mumbled, trying my hardest to keep a level head. His lips and hands were working wonders. "We… we need to t-talk."

He looked deeply into my eyes and gently pecked my lips. He sighed. "I know, sweetheart. I'm getting a little ahead of myself." He reluctantly moved away and brushed his hair from his face. I sat up, straightening my top and attempting to get my heart rate back to normal. "But you're right, we have a lot to discuss."

We faced each other on the bed, sitting crossed legged. I placed my hands in my lap, ready to talk.

"So where do we begin?" I enquired. "I mean, I thought you couldn't be with me. What changed?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "I know," he replied. "I just… I realised I couldn't stay away."

"I know the feeling," I smiled, reaching over and taking his hand in mine.

"The way he held you and touched you," he continued. "It got me so mad. And then when he kissed you…" I felt his hand tense so I rubbed the back of it with my thumb, trying my hardest to sooth him.

"I know," I said. "I wasn't expecting it either."

"It made me realise you were in danger regardless. They're coming after you whether we're together or not. So why torture ourselves? I need to be with you, Lily. If I have to protect you, I wanna be with you and love you at the same time too." He gently stroked my cheek. I closed my eyes, leaning into his hand. "I can't stay away anymore."

"I don't want you to," I said.

"The thought of another man touching you, knowing that I can't have you… it would destroy me. Orton was just proof of that. I need you, Lily. I don't care what comes our way, I'm not gonna let you go."

"Roman…" I whispered as I moved then to straddle his lap, my hands resting on his shoulders as his held my back.

"No more running from this. I want you, Lily. I want to be with you, no matter what the cost is."

I couldn't take it anymore, I crushed my lips to his in a heated and passionate kiss, pouring every ounce of love and adoration I had for him into it. He smirked against my lips, taking this as a go-ahead, slipping his tongue into my mouth and tangling it with mine. It was sloppy and it was wet, but it was oh-so-amazing, making me feel things I'd never felt before. He pulled back, biting my lip, his eyes dark and hooded, and I knew exactly what he wanted.

Me.

He flipped us over until my back was against the mattress, his strong and toned body hovering over me. He ran his nose along my cheek, moving his lips to kiss down my neck, suckling gently on the skin, causing me to gasp. His hands moved down my side, reaching the hem of my shirt and placing them underneath the cotton, his fingers on my bare stomach causing goosebumps all over my body.

Slowly but surely he raised my shirt above my head until he removed it, throwing it onto the floor, my bra soon following.

"Perfection…" he whispered, quickly taking a nipple between his lips, running his tongue around it in circles.

"Roman," I moaned, arching my back to bring my body closer.

He smirked against my skin. "God, make that noise again, baby girl."

He took the other nipple in his mouth, my mouth moaning louder, and I could feel the dampness in my panties already. He had barely touched me but I was already putty in his hands. He pulled away and sat up on his knees, throwing his wife beater off, my eyes gazing at his toned and perfect chest, the tattoo covering his shoulder making him even sexier.

 _This man is a god…_

He leaned back down, our bare chests pressed together as he kissed me again, my fingers tangling themselves in his hair, pulling him into a deeper kiss. This was like nothing I'd ever felt, like I was meant to be here with this man.

He kissed down my chest, caressing my breasts with his hands before moving them to my jeans. He slowly unbuttoned them, pulling the clothing from my legs, taking my lacy panties with them. I was finally left completely naked in front of him.

I blushed as his hooded eyes looked at every inch of me, taking me in and committing me to memory. He looked hungry, like he wanted every piece of me. His hands moved to his own jeans, unbuttoning them.

"Wait," I said, sitting up. "Let me."

He smirked, placing his hands at his side and letting me slowly pull his jeans and underwear down till he was as naked as I was. My eyes widened as I saw him, his dick hard and ready for me. He was fucking huge! I wondered if he'd fit, I'd never had someone as big as him before.

"See something you like?" he chuckled.

"Oh, I like it very much," I said, unable to stay away. I launched myself at him, taking him in my mouth, running my tongue from base to tip, taking the head in my mouth.

"Lily," he hissed. "Oh fuck."

He was enjoying it, and this simply spurred me on. I moved my head and tongue faster, enjoying his taste, enjoying the little noises coming from his lips, letting him fill my mouth.

He suddenly pulled my head away and I looked up questioningly.

"What's up? Did I do something wrong?" I asked in worry.

He smiled. "No, baby girl. It's just, if you carry on like that, I'm gonna blow my load before I've even had chance to make you feel good."

I smiled in relief as he gently pushed me back onto the bed, running his tongue up and down my thighs, making me move and fidget. He was being a total tease, and I just need him right in that spot to make me feel good. He sniggered as I made little whimpers, trying to move my body closer to his mouth.

I was about to air my protests when he suddenly dived right in, his tongue rubbing my clit, making me feel on fire. I threw my head back, letting out a loud moan of pleasure. I was surprised Dean and Seth hadn't heard us in the other room. He lapped at me, and I got wetter and wetter. If I thought he could kiss will, his oral skills were off the chart! I could feel my release building already.

I pushed his head closer to me, his tongue working absolute magic and I knew I was on the edge.

"Roman… I-I'm gonna cum…" I whimpered.

He didn't stop, and soon I found my release, cumming hard and fast into his mouth. He lapped up every last drop, savouring the taste, enjoying it. He sat back, wiping his mouth, looking down at me with lust.

"What?" I asked.

"Best thing I've ever tasted, Lily."

I blushed. "You were pretty tasty yourself." I was still coming down from my high and I knew he could tell. "That was so good."

He leaned over me, positioning himself at my entrance. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm just getting started."

And with that, he crashed his lips to mine, thrusting inside me, causing me to moan and arch my back. My god, he felt so fucking good. He filled me completely, inching his way in until he could go no further. He broke the kiss, looking deeply into my eyes as he pulled out, finally thrusting back in.

He kept a good pace, the sex more intimate and loving than the lust-filled foreplay. His eyes were different. They weren't dark like before, they were soft and gentle, looking at me as if I were the greatest thing on earth. His movements weren't rushed and hard either. They were tender, comfortable, allowing me to enjoy the pleasure more. He held me in his arms, cradling me to him as I wrapped mine around his back.

"So… good…" I moaned with each thrust.

"So tight… Lily…" he moaned, his thrusts getting faster. My release was building and I knew his was too.

He pressed his forehead to mine as he moved his body as fast as he could, my moans getting louder and louder.

"Oh god…" I cried.

"That's it, cum for me, baby girl," he groaned. "Cum for me, love."

And I did. I screamed, finding my release, milking his dick for everything it had, Roman soon cumming with me.

We collapsed back onto the bed, sweaty, hot and out of breath, but extremely satisfied.

It had been, without a doubt, the greatest experience of my life. This wonderful man who owned my heart completely had made me feel alive, sexy and whole. He had saved my life and dedicated his own to protecting me. Not only that, but he had given me himself, mind, body and soul. He was perfect, and I loved him beyond compare.

He rolled to face me, taking me in his arms, snuggling his face into my neck. I stroked his hair, the feeling of having him this close putting me on cloud nine.

I felt him smile against my neck and I couldn't help but smile in return. "What?" I giggled.

"I just fucked Lily Watson," he smiled, moving to look into my eyes. "And it was the best moment of my life."

I blushed, kissing his forehead lightly. "You sure know how to please a woman."

"Oh, I can make you feel better than that, baby girl. I haven't shown you my best yet."

"Does it get any better?" I asked. What we'd just shared had been incredible. I didn't think it could get any greater!

He cupped my cheek in his hand, looking at me tenderly. "I want to prove to you every day for the rest of our lives that it gets better."

"Mmmm, that sounds like heaven," I said.

He looked at me, the love in his eyes strong, telling me everything I needed to know. He loved me as much as I loved him. This was it now, nothing or no one would take him away from me. I loved him and he loved me too. He was everything I wanted and more, and I knew I would be forever safe with Roman, no matter what came our way.

"My Lily…"

He gently kissed me, rolling me over, ready for round two.

* * *

 **A humongous thanks to raaeebrucee, Lilygirl95 and my guest reviewer for their lovely words on the last chapter. Don't forget to review, favourite and follow, guys. It all makes my day.**

 **Much love**


	17. Dark Horse

**Hello, you lovely lot!**

 **Hope you're all well! People really seemed to like the last chapter, and I'm glad. I've never really written a sex scene before so was rather nervous to post it. But it seemed to go down well, so that made me happy.**

 **Hope everybody is ready for a bit of drama now. The shit is about to hit the fan.**

 **This chapter is named after 'Dark Horse' by Katy Perry**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

The next few days flashed past in a blur of pure happiness and joy for me. If the previous days had been tainted with sadness, fear and panic, then the days after that certainly made up for it.

The smile hardly left my face the entire time. Roman was mine, The Authority had not shown up and I genuinely felt happy and content. All four of us were finally living a reasonably normal life. We hung out, went food shopping, visited the strip. Dean even took me to a casino and I won two hundred dollars on the roulette table. I treated us to a swanky dinner that night, putting the rest to our living fund.

Being with Roman was complete heaven. I'd never been happier, and I spent each and every moment with him. We kissed, we cuddled, we made love all night long. I was on cloud nine with him, falling more and more in love with him each day. And even during those times of the day where we weren't together, I'd always catch him looking at me, love and adoration in his eyes.

I didn't know it was possible to be this happy with a man, but I was living the dream. I had someone who loved me, who I could depend on, who I knew would go to the ends of the earth and back to protect me. It was magnificent.

There was only one tiny thing that was starting to quietly distort the wonderful picture of life that I'd painted.

Seth.

Everybody had settled into this comfortable way of living apart from him. Seth had been quiet, distant, always apprehensive to join in with anything. He enjoyed his own company, usually keeping out of everyone's way. The bright and energetic person he was once was had grown listless and dull, becoming reclusive and silent.

I always tried to keep mine and Roman's relationship private, only kissing him when Seth wasn't in the room incase this was the problem. Roman, on the otherhand, flaunted it all he could. He knew nothing of Seth's potential feelings so would kiss me and hold me wherever we were, eager to show the world I was his.

I couldn't blame Roman for this; he was none the wiser to anything that could potentially be going through Seth's head. Even I didn't know what he was thinking, but his reclusive attitude had only begun once Roman and I had become a thing.

It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

But it was so hard to talk to Seth about it. Either he always wanted to be alone or I was with Roman. It was difficult to grab onto a spare ounce of time for me to sit down with him and ask him how he was doing and what was up. I wanted to do it but luck never seemed to be on my side.

I lay in bed with Roman one Saturday evening, the two of us watching the sun go down. There was no greater feeling than his naked body on mine as he held me after just making love. It had soon become my favourite thing to do. I rested my head on his chest, watching the sun slowly go down.

"What you thinking about, baby girl?" he asked, mindlessly twirling a piece of my hair around his fingers.

"I'm worried about Seth," I sighed.

"Me too," he answered solemnly. "Poor guy hasn't been himself as of late."

"I think we need to talk to him," I replied, moving my head to look at him. "He obviously has a lot on his mind and we need to be there for him."

Roman nodded. "He's never been like this before. Maybe it's the mission. We've never had as much trouble before as we have had with The Authority. It's getting to us all really." I knew this wasn't the truth, but I nodded anyway to pacify him.

"Maybe." I rested my head on his chest, listening to his soft heartbeat, relaxing to the rhythm. "I'll chat to him when I get a chance." It didn't take me long to drift off to sleep, my body completely spent.

xXx

I awoke a few hours later to see it was dark outside. Roman was asleep beside me, the clock saying 10pm. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, smiling down at the gorgeous man in my bed, his hair falling across his face. I moved it away, Roman in the complete depths of sleep. He loved his rest so I knew he was out for the night.

Wanting a glass of water, I quickly dressed myself and entered the main area of the apartment, seeing Dean in the living room, flicking through a magazine. I entered the kitchen and made my drink.

"Where's Seth?" I enquired, taking a sip.

"Out," he replied. "Said he needed a drink. He went to the bar down the street."

I sighed, shaking my head, wondering when this would all end. "I'm worried about him."

"Me too, kid," Dean said, putting the magazine down and joining me in the kitchen. "Rollins isn't happy."

I looked at him, an idea coming to mind. "Well why don't we go down there and keep him company? It's never fun to drink alone."

 _That, plus the fact it might actually give me an opportunity to actually talk to him._

He nodded. "Good idea. I hate leaving him alone when he's like this. What about Roman?"

"He's out for the night," I answered. "He's pretty tired."

"I bet he is, the dirty dog." He winked, causing me to blush profusely. We quickly got our shoes and jackets on and headed out.

The bar wasn't far from the apartment, and we'd visited it a few times during the last few fantastic days. It was a quaint little bar, the sort that was homely and warm with sports memorabilia on the wall and a jukebox in the corner. The alcohol was cheap and the atmosphere was pleasant.

It was half busy when we entered, and we looked around in search of our friend.

"Can you see him?" Dean asked.

I shook my head. "Maybe he's outside."

"No, wait, there he is." Dean pointed over towards the bar, seeing Seth on a stool with his back to us. We knew it was him, you could recognise his distinctive hair anywhere. We made our way over.

"Fancy some company, buddy?" Dean asked once we reached him, patting him on the back.

Seth was rather surprised to see us. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to see if you were okay," I smiled warmly. "And we figured you could use a couple of drinking buddies."

"Where's Roman?" he enquired.

"Sleeping," I answered. "So we figured we'd come see you."

He smirked, facing the bar and asking the barman for another drink. "I guess, if you want. Knock yourselves out." His tone was passive, like he didn't care if we were there or not.

We each took a stool either side of him, wanting to surround him and let him know that we were here for him. He'd never have to be alone with Dean and I around. He knocked back his drink, asking for three more so we'd have one each.

"How many of those have you had?" questioned Dean with concern.

Seth shrugged. "Dunno. Doesn't matter. I'm allowed to enjoy myself aren't I?"

Dean and I looked at each other from across the bar, worry and concern etched on both our faces. No, this was definitely not the Seth we all knew and loved. He really was not himself. We sipped on our drinks as Seth swallowed his in one gulp, asking for another. I was worried about his alcohol consumption. If he didn't stop he'd really regret it in the morning. We made idol chitchat for a time, attempting to bring him out of his shell and to open up more. He didn't respond much.

"I need the bathroom," Seth suddenly said, moving his stool back and standing up. We both nodded as he moved away. I watched him, noticing right away he was heading in the completely wrong direction to the bathroom. He seemed to be heading to the outside smoking area instead.

I knew this would be my chance.

"I'll be right back, just need to go freshen up," I smiled, knowing Dean wouldn't question lady things like that. I quickly rushed outside to the dark alley that was used as a smoking area. It was completely deserted apart from Seth leaning against the brick wall, cigarette in hand. I cautiously approached him.

"I didn't know you smoked."

He stiffened and looked up, relaxing as he saw it was me who was approaching. "I don't. Just needed something to make myself feel better." He took another drag, throwing it to the ground even though it was only half finished.

"You could have finished it, I don't mind the smoke," I said.

"Nah, tasted like shit anyway," he replied, his words a touch slurred. I knew the alcohol was already taking effect.

"You okay?" I asked once I was standing beside him. "You had quite a few drinks back there."

"Oh, I'm fine, sweetheart," he said. "I'm dandy, great, couldn't be better."

"You sound it," I observed sarcastically.

He smiled to himself. "You should go back inside. Wouldn't want Roman worrying about you now, would we?" His tone was harsh.

His words hit home and confirmed what I'd known all along. Roman and I were the issue. We were the cause of his character change, and I hated myself for that. I'd never wanted to flaunt it, but it had obviously effected him more than we'd thought.

"Listen, why don't we talk about this," I suggested, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder. "I know you're hurting-"

"You don't know the fucking half of it!" he yelled, shrugging my hand off. He glared at me, his character totally changing. "You're fine, you have who you want. And what do I fucking have?"

He was getting a little aggressive and I knew this wasn't the Seth who was my friend. This was the alcohol talking.

"Seth, you need to relax," I said in a composed manner, attempting to calm him down.

"I have nothing. I'm the one left on my own. Dean had Renee, Roman has you, and what do I have? Fuck all!" His hands began to flail in his anger.

I held my hands up defensively. "Look, maybe we should go back to the apartment," I suggested.

"Did it ever occur to you that he wasn't the only one who liked you?" he asked, looking at me closely, ignoring my words. "Did you ever think I could have feelings too?"

 _W-What?_

My heart sunk and began to pound rapidly, all his feelings finally coming out. I knew it all along. That look in the club, his constant sweetness towards me, the way he did everything for my benefit…

He liked me too.

 _Fuck._

"Seth, you're drunk," I tried. "Maybe we should go home, you can sleep it off and-"

"Oh no, sweetheart. I'm stone cold fucking sober," he said. "You asked what was wrong and I'm fucking telling you."

"Seth," I tried again, knowing the alcohol was talking. We needed to just go home, sleep off the effects of the drink, then talk about it tomorrow when he had a level head and his judgement wasn't clouded.

"I like you, Lily. I can't get you out of my fucking head. And it's killing me."

"Let's just go-"

"Every time he looks at you, every time he kisses you, every time I have to hear you cry his name through the walls as he's fucking you… I hate it!"

My heart was pounding quicker as his confession continued to seep out, knowing every single word he said was making everything so much more complicated. Seth couldn't like me, he shouldn't like me. I was with his best friend, his brother. I loved Seth, but only as a friend. My heart lay elsewhere. I started to panic, I just needed to shut him up or for Dean to come outside and calm him down.

"Seth, you're drunk. If we-"

But I was cut off.

I gasped as he pressed his lips suddenly to mine, pushing me against the wall, pouring every feeling and ounce of passion into it.

 _What… the… fuck…?_

My body froze up as he held me, his arms wrapping lovingly around me. My whole being was in too much shock to comprehend what was actually happening. Seth Rollins was kissing me. He had told me he liked me and was now kissing me. He held me tighter, his hands running up and down my body, pulling me as close to him as possible. My eyes widened as realisation hit me.

What was he doing? He shouldn't be doing this! I was a taken woman, and it was made worse by the fact I was taken by his best friend.

 _Roman…_

Roman's face flashed through my mind, bringing me back to reality. My poor Samoan was back home in bed, sleeping peacefully, waiting for me to come home. The man I loved above any other, the man who had made me the happiest I'd ever been. But here I was, being kissed by his best friend…

I pressed my hands against Seth's chest in an attempt to push him away, shaking my head to stop him from kissing me. He reluctantly pulled away as tears built in my eyes. I pressed my palm to my mouth, staring at him in utter shock.

He looked at the floor, catching his breath, his shoulders heaving.

The silence was deafening.

"I shouldn't have done that," he finally said, looking up at me. "But I had to. You had to know that Roman isn't the only one who wants you, Lily."

I just looked at him in disbelief, willing the tears to disappear before they could fall. The last thing I needed to do right now was cry.

My body and mind felt numb over what had just happened, the feel of his lips still tingling on mine. Where did this leave us? What did this mean? Did I tell Roman and cause a fight between two best friends? A thousand questions shot through my head and I didn't have a single answer for any of them.

I just looked at him in a complete daze, silently asking why he'd done this, why he'd put me in this awkward position.

"There you guys are," said Dean, finally approaching us from the exit of the bar. "Was wondering where you pair had gotten to."

Seth shook his head, putting on a façade. "I just needed some air. Lily was just checking I was okay."

I didn't say anything, I could only stare at him, lost for words.

Seth Rollins had put me in the most awkward position of my life and I honestly didn't know what do…

* * *

 **A massive thanks to** **sebastianm101** **,** **KairiAnneYukari21** **, Lilygirl95, raaeebrucee, calwitch and my guest reviewer for their kind words on the last chapter. We finally hit 50 reviews! Woohoo! I love hearing from you guys so don't forget to leave me your thoughts and opinions in that little review box below.**


	18. Fight For This Love

**Hello, one and all!**

 **So the last chapter was a pretty big one. Guess all this shit needs sorting out…**

 **This chapter is named after 'Fight For This Love' by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

I lay silently in my bed the next morning, staring up at the ceiling. Roman slept soundly beside me but I'd hardly slept a wink.

I couldn't, the memory of Seth Rollins's kiss was permanently stamped into every thought I was having.

I was totally numb, confused, and frightened too. I didn't know what this meant in the long term, for Roman and I, for Seth and I, for our entire group. Seth had put a complete spanner in the works and I panicked that things would never be the same again. My perfect little picture of life we'd all recently shared was now shattered, and I wasn't sure what to do.

I thing I did know was that I had to tell Roman, I couldn't keep something like this from him. But I feared for his friendship with Seth, I feared he could place some blame on me, I feared he'd beat Seth to a pulp. I'd seen what he'd done to Randy, I knew he'd do the same to Rollins.

And where did this leave Dean? He'd have to pick between his brothers and choose a side, meaning he'd lose a friend regardless of the choice he made. We all lost in this situation and I knew it couldn't end well.

I just wanted things to be how they were before. I wanted my friend Seth back, the sweetheart who looked after me and protected me, who made smoothies with me and offered me his bed during a time of injury. At the end of it all, I just wanted my buddy back.

I rubbed my hands across my face, groaning quietly.

This was all so fucked up.

I sat up, brushing my bangs out of my eyes. I couldn't lie in the bed any longer, pondering over the questions. My stomach grumbled and I figured food would be a fantastic idea. I kissed my sleeping Roman softly on the cheek then got out of bed and got dressed.

I exited the bedroom, popping my head out first to check the coast was clear. The living area was empty so I took this as a sign to leave. I swiftly entered the kitchen, preparing myself some cereal. I opened the fridge to grab some milk, someone coughing causing my body to stiffen. I looked over to see Seth sitting on the balcony. He had his back to me so he hadn't seen me and had no idea I was there.

I wasn't ready to deal with this, not until I'd got my thoughts into check. So I grabbed my bowl, my spoon and a glass of juice, and balanced them in my hands, rushing back to the bedroom before he was alerted to my presence.

That was until my foot caught itself on the rug and the spoon came tumbling from my hands, clattering onto the floor.

 _Shit._

His head whipped round as I grabbed the spoon and tried to rush off.

"Lily, wait," he said, rushing into the living area. "Don't go, please."

He looked sad and embarrassed, the alcohol now clearly out of his system. I looked up at him sceptically, not moving.

"I think I should just go into the bedroom to eat," I suggested.

"No, please," he pleaded. "Look, I just wanna talk to you." He held his hand out for me. "Please, Lily."

I stared at it for what seemed like forever. I didn't want to deal with the situation yet, but I knew I had to. This needed to be sorted, and the sooner the better. I sighed, putting my cereal bowl and juice on the dining room table. I didn't take his hand, I simply walked out onto the balcony and took one of the seats, Seth taking the other.

I didn't say anything, I just stared at him and waited. He was the one who had put me in this position, he was the one who should start. He stared at the floor for what seemed like hours, his hands fidgeting nervously, and I knew he was thinking about what to say.

"You probably hate me right now," he finally spoke.

"I don't hate you, Seth," I said.

"Why not?" he asked, staring intently at the floor. "It was inexcusable what I did last night."

"Because I can't hate my friends."

He looked at me. "How can you even consider me a friend after I forced that kiss onto you?"

"Because even through it all, you're still the man who's looked after me, protected me and risked his life for me. I can't forget all that so easily."

"It's better than I deserve," he said to himself.

"Maybe, but the good things you've done for me certainly outweigh the bad."

"But the bad thing was pretty bad," he reminded me.

"You're not wrong," I commented. "And believe me, I'm still trying to get my head round it all. But my biggest fear is that we won't all be friends anymore, that things won't be the same. And that's the last thing I want to happen."

"If that happens, then I'll be the one to leave, not you," he tried. "I was the one in the wrong. You'll still have Roman and Dean."

"But I want all three of you," I said sadly. "We started this as a foursome, I want to end this as a foursome. It's Lily and The Shield against the world, and it's not The Shield without you."

He looked at me, his face determined. "I'm gonna fix all this, Lily. If it's the last thing I do."

I nodded thoughtfully, hoping that he could actually stick to his words. I couldn't lose any of these guys, not over something like a kiss. We sat in peaceful silence for a few moments before I spoke again. "So how long?" I asked.

"Huh?" he asked questioningly.

"How long have you had these feelings?"

He looked away. "Since you ran away from the motel," he replied. "It scared me shitless and made me realise what you meant to me."

I nodded. I couldn't believe it had been so long. It was strange, he'd started liking me around the time I began to like Roman. It was ironic yet sad. At least I'd gotten who I wanted in the end. Seth had to just sit back and watch me slip away into the arms of another man. But this had me confused.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked.

"Because I could see where your heart was lying," he replied. "I didn't want to believe it, I didn't want to believe you had feelings for Roman. But after dancing at the club, after the good times we spent together, I always had that little hope that you would fall for me and become mine instead. However I could see him falling for you too, and I could never force you to care for me when you wanted someone else. I couldn't hurt my brother like that."

"But you kissed me, Seth," I argued. "He's going to be hurt regardless."

He rubbed his face with his hands. "I know, I fucked up."

"Big time," I said. "Why even do it? Why risk everything like that?"

"Because it destroyed me inside knowing I could never have you," he answered. "I needed you to know how I felt. I needed to give you the option of someone else and not just Roman. Now I've sobered up, I know how stupid it was. I shouldn't have done it, and I'm so so sorry."

"You need to tell him what happened," I said and he looked up at me with worry and fear.

"I can't… he'll kill me. It'll destroy him."

"Seth, I can't hide this from him. He has to know. The longer you leave it, the worse it'll be when he does find out. And I'm not inclined to lie to him about something like this. Seth, you have to tell Roman."

"He'll never speak to me again," he whispered, throwing his head into his hands. "I fucked up so bad."

"If you tell him now, he may be more forgiving. You can't lie to Roman like this."

He nodded. "I know. I just… I've already lost you, I can't lose my brother too."

My heart burst for him, feeling insanely sympathetic. I knew most of last night had been the alcohol talking, but now he was facing the consequences of his actions. He'd acknowledged he was wrong, he'd admitted he'd fucked up. But now he had to make amends and set the story straight. And the first step to this was to tell Roman.

"Look, you won't be alone," I said, offering him some support. "I'll talk to him with you, help to explain the situation and calm him down. It'll be okay."

He looked at me, and I could not mistake the love in his eyes that should not be there. "I don't deserve it. Thank you…"

I nodded, hearing someone stir in the bedroom, the door opening and the Samoan emerging.

"No time like the present," I suggested.

Taking a deep and brave breath, Seth stood up and entered the living area.

Roman was of the sofa as we stepped inside, a cup of coffee in hand. "Hey, beautiful. Wondered where you'd gotten to." He smiled as I sat beside him, giving him a soft and loving kiss. I could never get bored of kissing Roman Reigns.

"Morning, Roman," I smiled warmly.

Seth sat on the armchair across from us, looking intently on the floor, his foot tapping nervously. I looked to him, offering him support, letting him know it was okay. Roman picked up on the tense mood immediately, looking between the two of us.

"What's going on?" he asked in confusion.

"Seth?" I said, encouraging him, knowing he was staying silent. He was scared, I could appreciate that. But this needed to be discussed and it needed to come out now.

Roman looked to his friend, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "What's up, Seth?"

Seth let out a breath, finally looking up, looking Roman in the eyes. "Listen, just remember I never wanted to hurt you, okay? I feel like shit about it…"

"About what?"

"It should never have happened and I just hope you can forgive me…"

"Seth?"

"I kissed Lily, Roman," he finally said. "Last night, I was drunk and I kissed her."

Roman was silent, staring at his friend, his face blank, impossible to read. I held his hand in mine, squeezing it to make sure he was okay. I was nervous, frightened how he'd react. We had a big enough fight on our hands with The Authority, the last thing we needed was to fight between ourselves.

"You kissed her?" he finally said, his voice on the brink of breaking.

Seth nodded. "It was out of the blue, and Lily had nothing to do with it."

Roman's eyes darkened as Seth and I looked at him, everyone on edge. "You kissed her." This time it was a statement.

"I'm so sorry, I-"

"I'm gonna kill you," he growled, standing up. "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!" He launched himself at Seth, punching the man in the face. He went to hit him again, Seth blocking and ducking out the way.

I jumped away from the fight, my eyes wide. "Stop!" I screamed, but they ignored me, the two of them engaged in a battle, punches flying left and right.

Dean suddenly burst from his room, the noise clearly waking him up. "What the fuck is going on?" he asked as he took in the scene before him, his two best friends at each other's throats.

"Dean, stop them!" I cried in a panic, Dean instantly rushing to grab Roman, pulling him off Seth. Roman struggled to get away but Dean kept him in a tight enough grip. "You fucking kissed her?!" he yelled. "You kissed the woman I love! She's mine, dammit. Mine!"

My heart began to swell with adoration as those words fell from his lips, even in the current situation. It was the first time he'd ever said out-loud that he'd love me and I'd never forget the sound of the words for the rest of my life.

"You kissed, Lily?" Dean asked in surprise, Seth finally sitting up, rubbing his jaw where Roman's fist had hit him. "When the hell did this happen?"

"Last night at the bar," I said, filling him in, rushing to Roman in an attempt to calm the angry man down. His breathing was erratic, his teeth clenched, his body itching to get back to his friend to hit him some more. He was beyond pissed and I genuinely worried he'd never calmed down. Seth had betrayed him in a way he never thought he would.

"What the fuck, dude?" Dean asked, a little upset himself.

"I'm sorry," Seth said as I held onto Roman's head, stroking his cheek soothingly. "I feel like shit about it and-"

"How do you think I feel?" Roman growled lowly, my calming technique working somewhat. His heavy breathing had already lessened. "You kissed my fucking girlfriend!"

"Roman, I'm so sorry," he said, and as I turned to look at him, you could see in his eyes he meant it. "I shouldn't have done it. Dude, you have to believe me, I never meant to hurt you."

"You kissed my girlfriend, then claim you never meant to hurt me?" Roman asked incredulously. "What did you think was going to happen? That I'd smile and be okay with it?"

"No, I just... Please, can we just talk about this?" he pleaded.

"How about I let my fists do the talking instead," Roman growled, glaring at him, breathing heavily through his nose, so I took his face in my hands again.

"Roman? Sweetheart, look at me." I rubbed his cheeks softly as I held his head, his eyes darting to me, the anger dissipating the second they landed on me. "He didn't mean it, Roman. He's explained himself to me, and I've understood. Please, don't fight over this, don't ruin a friendship over this."

"He fucking kissed you, Lily," he said, Dean realising he was calm enough to finally let him go. "What is there to talk about?"

"Your friendship, your brotherhood, the fact that he's your best friend. I've forgiven him, Roman, so I know you can too. You guys deserve to at least talk it out."

His eyes shifted to Seth, the other man staring back, his eyes begging the Samoan to give him a chance to explain himself. I wished with all my heart that Roman would talk to Seth, I couldn't have our group split. If we were to have any chance against The Authority, we had to remain united.

Roman finally looked back to me, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "He's got ten minutes to win me round."

"That's all I ask," Seth said, relief flooding his face.

"I'm doing this for her, not for you," Roman said sternly. "Remember that."

"Totally understood," Seth replied as he made his way out to the balcony, Roman following him. They closed the door in order to give themselves some privacy, but kept the curtains open so Dean and I could see if there was any trouble.

I dropped onto the sofa, groaning to myself, resting my head back and staring at the ceiling.

"Dean, why are men so annoying?" I asked him.

"Yeah, we can be total douchebags sometimes," he smirked from the kitchen, making us each a coffee. After what I'd just experienced, a part of me wanted the drink to be Irish.

"Nah, not you, Dean. You're one of the good guys."

"Oh, I know. I'm freakin awesome! But these two really need to sort this out." He handed me my coffee and sat beside me, the two of us watching Seth and Roman. They were both seated and talking. Roman was remaining calm thankfully.

"You aren't kidding," I smiled.

"I just wished I'd found you guys sooner," he admitted, sipping his drink. "He might never have kissed you if I had."

"No," I said, turning to look at him. "He was determined. He wanted me to know how he felt and he'd have shown me his feelings regardless."

"And how do you feel?" he questioned.

I looked down at the floor. "I love Seth, but not like I love Roman. Seth is handsome, sweet, kind, a complete joy to be around. But he's my friend, my buddy. He's not where my heart lies. If Roman had never been in the picture then maybe we could have been a thing. But I know who I fell in love with, I know where my heart belongs. I love Seth, but I'm _in love_ with Roman. It will only ever be him."

Dean nodded, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and hugging me to him. "I gotcha, kid."

And I knew he did. He knew what it was like to be in love, to be obsessed with one person completely till you know you can't live your life without them. For him it was Renee, for me it was Roman.

It would only ever be Roman.

We were brought from our conversation when the balcony door slid open, the two men finally coming inside. Dean and I both stood, awaiting what the outcome of their talk was.

"Well?" I asked nervously.

Roman's face gave nothing away but he was completely calm. "I'll forgive him. He explained the situation and I know how guilty he feels. I hate what he did, but if you can forgive him, then I can as well. I won't lose my brother. We've been through far too much together. But if he tries it again, I'll beat the living daylights out of him. One last chance, Seth."

He placed a friendly hand on Seth's shoulder and offered him a smile. I jumped up to hug the Samoan, my smile wide. He caught me, holding me to him.

"Thank god for that," I said in utter relief, hugging him tightly.

The previous tension and fear my body had held completely dissipated, relaxation and happiness replacing it. I was so relieved my hounds could put this behind them and make it work. The last thing I wanted was to be a broken and fractured group. I needed all four of us together, united and strong.

Yes, Seth liked me, and yes, Roman knew and would never forget. This was not something any of us would ever forget, it would always hang over our heads. But their brotherhood was stronger than anything and could come out of any situation on top.

"Roman accepts it and knows that my feelings can't just disappear, but I'm working on it," Seth added.

I looked to him. "That's understandable." And it was. It was difficult to just un-like someone.

Seth walked to the bathroom, hesitating before he opened the door. "But Roman, just know that if you upset her or hurt her in anyway, I'll be there for her and I'll fight to make her mine."

Roman simply smirked at the challenge. "I wouldn't expect any less, my brother. But I'm never letting her go for anyone. Believe that."

Seth smirked back, heading for a shower.

* * *

 **Thank you to raaeebrucee,** **sebastianm101** **and calwitch for their kind words about the last chapter. Reviews really spur my writing on, so don't forget to leave a few words.**

 **Also check out my other story 'Catch My Breath.'**


	19. First Date

**Hello!**

 **Hope you're all well. After all the drama of the past few chapters, I think we need something light and fluffy now.**

 **This chapter is named after 'First Date' by Blink 182**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

"I wanna take you out," Roman randomly said out of the blue a few days later.

"You do?" I said in surprise. We were sitting in the living area, watching the television.

"Yeah. Like a date. We've never really been out before and done something."

"We've done things," I said.

"I wouldn't call a car chase in the desert followed by fighting eight or nine other guys doing something, Lily. It hardly screams first date."

He had a point. Roman and I had never really gone out before, which was strange considering how far into our relationship we were. We'd kissed, said the L word, done the bad thing. But we'd never actually had a proper date.

Though considering our current circumstances, you couldn't judge us for it. The way we'd met and fallen in love was hardly conventional.

I smiled, curling up to him on the sofa as he wrapped a loving arm around me. "I'd like that."

It had me rather excited actually. Considering we were stuck in a small apartment most of the time, it was rare that Roman and I got moments to ourselves apart from night times. And any little times we had just the two of us were usually interrupted by either Dean or Seth. The play was constantly cramped, so any chances we had to get some time to ourselves, we grabbed with two hands.

So a date sounded fun. A time for just him and I where we could flaunt our love and affection and not give a shit who saw.

Ever since the little Seth incident, we had both worked hard to not show it off in front of him, waiting until we were alone to show any affection or adoration towards one another. It wasn't fair to parade it around, especially after everything he'd admitted during the argument. Plus Roman had been forgiving and their friendship was beginning to get back on track, the last thing I wanted was to kick things off again.

I couldn't stand another fight between them.

"Where will you be taking me?" I asked curiously.

"It's a surprise," he smirked. "It's the first date I'm taking you on. I'm not giving anything away."

I giggled, leaning up to kiss the tip of his nose. "I look forward to it."

It would be amazing. We'd finally get the chance to act like a normal couple and do normal relationship things. Even the little things would be exciting, like holding hands, or letting him pull my chair out at dinner.

I had no patience, I ready to burst at the seams with excitement. I just wanted to go now.

"Me too, baby girl," he replied.

"So when do you want to have this little date?" I enquired.

"Tonight," he replied. "I've already run it by the guys and booked reservations for dinner. I want you dressed and ready by 7 o'clock."

I smiled to myself, wanting to giggle like a schoolgirl. "I'll be ready."

xXx

My hair was done, my make up was on point, but as I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I realised I was not ready. I stood with two dresses in my hands, one black, one blue, taking it in turns to hold each one up against me.

I sighed, unable to pick. I'd brought both with my winnings at the casino earlier in the week. Both were beautiful, both fitted wonderfully, and both made me feel extremely sexy. But I wasn't sure which Roman would like best. I held each in front of me again and again, thinking hard which to choose.

Eventually I went with the blue. Not only would it match my eyes, but Roman was probably sick of looking at black after wearing his special ops gear. I slipped the dress on, arranging my wavy hair around my shoulders. I grabbed my purse and took one last look in the mirror, making sure I was ready. I slipped on my black heels and exited the room.

"Holy fuck…" commented Roman the second his eyes hit me in the living area. He was wearing black jeans, a grey shirt, his hair tied back into a low bun. I wanted to fuck him there and then, my stomach doing summersaults when I saw how good he looked.

I blushed, looking down at the floor. "Do I look okay?"

"You look… holy fuck…" he approached me, wrapping me in his arms, kissing me hungrily. Seemed I looked as good as he did.

I giggled against his lips. "Don't smudge my lipstick," I smiled as he pulled away.

"You look beautiful," he said, looking me up and down, unable to tare his eyes away from me. It was very empowering knowing I could make him react like this.

"You scrub up well, kid," Dean smiled from his seat in the armchair. "You look great."

"Thank, Dean," I said bashfully, Roman still looking at me.

It was at that moment that the bathroom door unlocked, someone stepping out, Seth stopping in his tracks when he saw me.

"Oh my god…" he said, looking me up and down, his eyes darkening.

 _Shit._

I looked at him nervously, hoping Roman didn't react badly to Seth's response to me. The blonde and brown haired man's jaw was tense, his eyes raking every inch of my body, and I knew it was affecting him. Seth was still not over his feelings for me; it was something that would take time, and I understood that.

But my current appearance was definitely not helping the situation.

He swallowed hard, trying to remain as calm as he possibly could.

"Let's get going," Roman suggested, obviously sensing the tension. "We have a reservation to get to."

Seth finally looked away. "Yeah, you guys should, uh, get going."

I nodded and we grabbed our jackets, Roman helping me put mine on.

"Have fun, guys," Dean said. "And look after her, Roman. Don't have her out too late. Make sure she enjoys herself."

"We'll be fine, _dad_ ," I teased as Roman held the door open for me. We said our farewells, making a swift exit to the taxi outside.

We both hurried into the back seats, Roman informing the driver of our destination. He took my hand in his as the car began to move, running his thumb along the back of my hand. I looked up at him, his eyes glistening in the night light. He was so handsome, his grey orbs boring down into my blue ones.

"What you thinking?" he asked me.

"That I am one lucky girl," I said, causing him to smile.

"I'm the lucky one here," he replied sweetly.

The rest of the journey carried on in relative silence until the taxi finally came to a halt. Roman paid the driver and we stepped out the cab, a quaint Italian restaurant in front of us.

"I love Italian food," I grinned.

"Then we came to the right place," he laughed as we stepped inside. A waitress greeted us, Roman informing her of our reservations. She led us through the restaurant until we came to a quiet table by a window overlooking the lights of Vegas. Roman kindly pulled my chair out for me, tucking me in once I was seated.

"Such a gentleman," I commented.

"We're not all like Dean," he replied. "Some of us men do have manners." I laughed.

"This is an amazing spot," I commented as he took his own seat.

"Best table in the restaurant," he said.

"Someone is pulling out all the stops tonight," I giggled as the waitress brought over a bottle of cooled champagne.

"Only the best for my girl," he smiled as she left. He popped open the bottle, pouring us each a glass. We raised our glasses.

"So what are we toasting to?" I asked.

"Us," he said lovingly. "Me and you."

"Me and you," I repeated as we clinked our glasses, each taking a sip. It was delicious, rolling down my throat like silk.

Next we pondered over the menu, each deciding what we wanted. The waitress returned and took our orders, Roman ordering the lasagne whilst I went for the beef cannelloni. Once she left, we had the space to ourselves.

"You look so gorgeous tonight, Lily," he smiled, causing me to blush.

"Well you don't look half bad yourself," I replied, noticing how his muscles stretched the material of his shirt. I bit my lip, suppressing the urge to leap across the table and rip the shirt open to see them properly.

"Well I have to look good for my girl," he chuckled.

"So what do you have planned for this little date tonight?" I asked, taking another sip of my champagne.

"I wanted to keep it simple. Dinner and a movie? After all the shit we've been through, I just wanted to do something normal for once."

"That sounds absolutely perfect," I said with a smile. "It's the perfect date for us."

"I'm glad you approve," he said. "I just wanna make you feel special and give you an evening to smile about." He held my hand across the table, squeezing it.

"Well I'm having an excellent time so far," I answered as our food finally arrived.

We tucked into our food, everything absolutely delicious. He couldn't have brought us to a better restaurant. We skipped dessert, far too full from the main course. Roman paid up and we soon hopped into a taxi to the local cinema.

My heart was fluttering the entire night, excited simply by the normalacy of the whole thing. There was nothing flashy about the evening, and he wasn't trying to show off with amazing and romantic gestures. It was simply about him and I spending some quality time together and enjoying one another's company. It didn't matter what we did as long as we did it together.

And he was right; after everything we had been through with each other, with The Authority, with Seth… We needed something normal, something people did everyday. And a romantic meal and trip to the cinema was just perfect.

The taxi pulled up and we got out, making our way into the cinema. Roman brought the tickets and popcorn, me practically bouncing on my feet at the excitement of seeing the cheesy rom-com.

 _Hey! It's a date! I wanna watch a rom-com._

The screen was typically dark when we entered it, with only a few dim lights illuminating our way. There were quite a few couples in there, but thankfully no-one we recognized, so The Authority weren't close. That was the last thing we needed tonight. Nothing could ruin this evening. We sat up near the back, right in the centre and got ourselves comfy.

"You ok, love?" Roman smiled

"I'm great. I'm just so excited."

"I'm glad," he smiled. I giggled as he leaned over and kissed me. It was soft and sweet and I melted into it. I felt him smiling against my lips. As soon as the kiss finished, he eyed the popcorn and took a giant mouthful of the stuff. I just couldn't stop laughing at him, loving the way that he made me feel so carefree, even after all the shit we'd experienced.

Eventually, the lights died down and the movie began. We lifted the armrest up in the middle of our seats so that we could sit closer together. Roman had his arms wrapped around me whilst I rested my head on his shoulder. We couldn't have gotten any closer even if we tried! Roman was totally enraptured by the movie, the only movement coming from him being his hand to reach for more popcorn. I, on the other hand, had no idea what the hell the film was about. Why would I watch it when I could watch the gorgeous man who held me in his arms? There was no comparison, Roman Reigns completely held my attention. I noticed the faces he pulled - smiling at funny parts, shock at the unexpected parts, sadness at the depressing parts, blushing at the romantic parts.

Occasionally, he would kiss my head or would brush his hands up and down my arm, eliciting the most delicious shiver. I would smile internally when his eyes darkened as he felt me shiver. I loved the fact that I had that sort of affect on him, that even the simplest of movements from me could make him putty in my hands. I affected him as much as he affected me.

I looked to him when the film ended and the lights finally went up, the man beside me stretching.

"Well that was actually better than I thought it would be. Did you enjoy it, baby girl?"

I nodded, not letting on that I'd been watching him practically the entire time. "Yeah. It was great."

"You picked a good choice of film, sweetheart," he grinned, taking my hand and leading us from the screen and from the cinema. The night air around us was warm and inviting, the Nevada weather meaning it was glorious outside. Every building was lit up, the strip a sight to behold. "Wanna walk it home?" he asked. "Don't exactly want to rush back to those two."

I giggled, knowing that being home would mean endless questions about our date from Dean and Seth. I nodded, a walk sounding wonderful.

We walked hand in hand silently for a time, my eyes taking in the glittering feast that was the Vegas strip. Every hotel was lit up, the place busy and glowing. There were happy people, drunk people, people heading to the casinos, people heading home after a crazy night. The atmosphere was electric. It was the same every single night.

"I've loved living here," I said to him.

He squeezed my hand. "Me too. Vegas is always good fun."

He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as we walked since we were in a quieter part of town now, less people around to distract us. I smiled, leaning into him, his warmth addictive. I could never get close enough to Roman Reigns. I loved being wrapped up in him, I loved being close to him. I just loved him in everyway imaginable. And I wanted him to know that.

"Thank you so much for tonight. It's been perfect, Roman... I love you," I said to him, my voice full of passion and sincerity. I still couldn't believe that I had been blessed with this perfect angel. He was too good to be true. I sometimes wondered if I deserved someone as wonderful as him. I was a very lucky woman.

"I love you too, Lily," he replied, cupping my cheek with his hand, bringing his lips to mine. It made my heart beat erratically in my chest every time I heard him say that he loved me. This kiss however was the soft, loving, warm ones I craved from him. Our lips and tongues danced together in prefect sync, almost as if we were meant to be together. I loved him so much. When we broke apart for breath, he offered me the most loving smile I had ever seen and I knew in that moment that this was more than love. We were soul mates, two people destined to be together, no matter the circumstances, no matter what tried to split us apart. No matter what happened to us, our love would conquer it all and we would be together forever. He was my entire life.

He kissed my forehead, bringing me close once again as we made our way home.

* * *

 **Thanks to Lilygirl95, sebastianm101 and raaeebrucee for their kind words about the last chapter. Don't forget to follow, favourite, and review, everyone!**

 **Don't forget to check out my other story too, Catch Your Breath**


	20. Cheating On You

**Hi, everyone. After that nice bit of fluff, its time to return to the madness and the drama. We have a lot of point of views in this one, so I hope you can follow it and enjoy!**

 **This chapter is named after 'Cheating On You' by Franz Ferdinand**

* * *

Stephanie McMahon's Point Of View

I looked at them, the useless men in front of me. The men I'd given just one job to, and they couldn't even do that. I expected this from The Ascension, Sheamus and Barrett, but not from Kane and Randy Orton. They were the best of the best, but they had been brought down by three men and one pathetic little girl.

They had her in the palm of their hands, they almost brought her back, but the idiots had to fail at the last minute, proving just how useless they truly were.

"How the fuck did they get away?" asked my husband. I was pissed off, but Hunter was seething.

"They over powered us," replied Randy, looking at his feet. "The Samoan was extremely strong."

"They caught us off guard," added Kane. "Before we had time to recover they had gone."

"Caught you off guard?" asked Hunter incredulously. "Caught you off fucking guard? What are you? Idiots? You've worked this job for years. A couple ex-Authority members and a useless little girl should not be catching you off guard!" His voice was raised, angry, upset.

We'd expected better than this. We'd expected Lily Watson back in our possession.

The girl would be our greatest hostage, our greatest pawn, our greatest bargaining tool in our ongoing feud with John Cena. We'd fought with the man for years, him on the constant side of good with his hustle, loyalty and respect.

But that could never lead a world. People needed guidance, they needed to be under control… they need authority.

Cena had never allowed that, fighting us on every occasion he could, constantly foiling our plans. And we'd finally found a way to stop him, to bring him down, to give us the win and the power that was ours.

His little sister, Lily Watson.

Apart from Nikki Bella, she was the greatest thing in his life. He loved her, protected her, adored her like no other. She was sweet, innocent, kind… She was the perfect way to trump John Cena and create a way for him to hand over his power no matter what. He would do anything for her, and we knew she was the key to our success.

That was until The Shield entered.

We had not expected Cena to turn to them, a faction that was once the most powerful The Authority had ever had. They were our greatest and strongest fighters some time ago, but circumstance made them leave. Yet we never thought in a million years they would turn on us in such a way, especially siding with our greatest enemy.

It was a blow for us as we knew it made our job of getting Lily back a whole lot harder. But we were The Authority, we always had a Plan B.

"We're sorry, boss," Kane said, all the men hanging their heads in shame.

"You should be," I growled. "How are we supposed to get Lily back now?"

"We may not have been able to return her, but we have gathered some information," said Randy.

This instantly piqued my interest and my husband's. "And what exactly is that?" he questioned.

"We've tracked their car to Vegas," Randy explained. "So we know their whereabouts. The only concern is if we enter, the result will be the same as before. The Shield are stronger than ever and completely united over protecting the girl."

"So what do you suppose we do?" I asked. "Do you have any more information?"

"They seem to want to shield the girl at all costs," Kane said. "We noticed this coming especially from Rollins and Reigns."

"What do you mean?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know if a relationship has been formed or anything, but from the way they fought for her and their reactions to us attempting to take her, they've definitely formed an attachment."

"Especially Reigns," Randy added. "The son-of –a-bitch speared me right into next week the second I touched her." He rubbed his ribs, still clearly in pain from the attack.

"I see," said Hunter, rubbing his chin in thought, his lips smirking. I knew that look, that glint in his eye. My husband had a plan.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" I asked him.

"I agree with Orton, another attack may not work. But we need to bring them down somehow, weaken them so we can isolate the girl and make her more vulnerable. It'll be easier to get her that way. They are clearly far too strong united. To bring the four of them down, we need to destroy them from the inside."

I smirked darkly. "I like the sound of that."

"You say both Rollins and Reigns showed an interest in her?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Kane.

"Perfect," he smiled. "Can you please send for Summer? I'd like a word with her."

xXx

Roman Reigns's Point Of View

"Come one, Lily! We're waiting out here!" shouted Dean, impatiently tapping his foot. I just smiled in amusement at the man as he banged on Lily's door, waiting for her to come out. "This is why women are nothing but trouble."

Seth and I couldn't help but chuckle as we sat on the sofa waiting for Lily to finally emerge. After spending a few days locked solely in the apartment, we'd all decided to go down to our favourite bar in order to relax and have a few drinks. We'd had no Authority interference in days and this deserved celebrating.

"Finally!" said Dean as the door opened and Lily emerged.

My jaw almost hit the floor.

The woman was stunning, a goddess, a complete vision of perfection as she stepped toward us. She wore a sleek black dress that hugged her figure, showing off her curves, making me go hard instantly. Her hair hung in waves, her gorgeous blue eyes surrounded by her bangs, her lips red.

I'd never seen anything so beautiful and I never would. I thanked God each and every day for blessing me with her.

I stood instantly, embracing her with a soft kiss, one that made her blush.

 _Fuck, that blush would be the death of me._

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," I said loud enough so only she could hear. I cupped her face with my hand, kissing her softly again.

"You too," she smiled. I was wearing black jeans, a white shirt with the top few buttons open and a grey jacket.

"Can we go now?" asked Dean. "I need a drink."

"Yes we can go," I laughed as I took Lily's hand. I turned to Seth. "You sure you don't wanna come?"

"Yeah I'm sure," replied Seth. "You guys go enjoy yourself."

I knew Seth had been taking the Lily situation rather hard since our relationship had been made common knowledge. It had taken me a while to forgive him after his little hiccup with the kiss, but I was slowly coming round to the fact it had happened and I accepted it. I knew his reasons for staying was to avoid us as a couple and I could understand that. I just hoped he'd come round to the idea more soon and we could all go back to normal.

We all said our goodbyes and left the apartment. It didn't take us long to get to the bar since it was a few blocks away, the place rather busy when we entered since it was a Saturday night.

We somehow managed to find a table by the window, grabbing it as soon as we could. Once we had it, I went to the bar to collect our drinks. I brought them back to the table once I'd been served, the three of us sipping them immediately. I wrapped my arm around Lily's waist, pulling her to me.

"It's a shame Seth couldn't make it," she sighed sadly, sipping on her wine.

Dean nodded, taking a drink of his beer. "Rollins has a lot of things he needs to sort out in his head. It'll take some time but he'll be himself soon."

"I hope so," Lily said. "I miss him."

I held her tighter, kissing the top of her head, hating that she was so sad. I never wanted my girl to be unhappy, and I knew the Seth situation was something constantly playing on her mind. I hoped he'd come round soon and sort his feelings out. I missed my brother. We all did.

We changed the subject soon after, talking about anything and everything. The drinks flowed, all of us getting merry on the alcohol. We were enjoying ourselves and it was nice to let loose. It had been a while since Dean and I had had a proper night out together like this, and we knew we wanted Seth here to complete our little team. But having my girl here with me to enjoy it with was like heaven.

Every little laugh or giggle she did made me smile. Every time her skin brushed over mine or she kissed me made my heart pound like never before. I loved this woman unlike any other, and I still couldn't believe she was mine. I was one lucky mother-fucker.

"I need a smoke," announced Dean, standing up.

"Go for it," I said as he made his way outside, me finishing off the last of my beer.

"Want another one, sweetheart?" Lily asked, noticing all our glasses were empty.

"Sure," I smiled, leaning over and kissing her perfect red lips. "Want me to fetch them?"

"That's okay, I've got it," she smiled sweetly, jumping up and heading to the bar.

I leant back in my seat, closing my eyes, enjoying the feeling of the alcohol running through my body. My life was pretty good right now. Sure it wasn't conventional as I was constantly on the run. But I had a girl I loved and adored, and two of the best friends a guy could ever wish for. They were my team and my family, and I couldn't have asked for a better one.

"Mind if I take a seat?" came a voice. I opened my eyes and looked up to see a tall tanned blonde woman in a pink dress. She was smiling down at me, pursing her lips. I'd hardly had time to answer when she sat down anyway.

"There's someone sitting there," I informed her but she seemed to ignore my words, leaning over the table to talk to me.

"The name is Summer. Summer Rae," she said. "And you are?"

"I'm Roman," I replied uncomfortably. "Look I'm waiting on people so if-"

"What an unusual name," she told me. "It's different, I like it." She leaned closer, sliding beside me till our legs were touching.

"I don't know who-"

She stroked my arm, looking up at me lustily. "Those grey eyes are beautiful."

"You need to back off," I said sternly.

She looked at me, her face becoming serious. "Let's cut the small talk, handsome. We both know where this is going."

"What are you-" And before I knew it, she was on my lap, straddling me, placing my hands on her hips. I was about to throw her off when her words stopped me in my tracks, my eyes widening. She leaned forward to whisper in my ear…

"The Authority send their regards…"

And then she kissed me.

xXx

Lily Watson's Point Of View

It was rather easy to get served at the bar when you're a woman. The bartender seemed to take pity on me, seeing me surrounded by drunken men all after a drink. I quickly placed my order and waited for him to fetch our drinks.

I was having so much fun with my boys. I found it a shame that Seth hadn't come out, but two out of three wasn't bad. Dean was always a good laugh, and Roman was just Roman. Any time with him was a perfect time.

After our date together, we'd been closer than ever, spending each and every moment with one another. I could never get enough of him. He was my best friend and my soul mate, and I was so grateful to have him by my side after everything I'd been through. He was my rock, and I couldn't be without him. I loved him above any other, and it made me feel on top of the world to know he loved me too.

The bartender placed my drinks on a tray and I paid him, carrying the tray and making my way back to the table.

The tray dropped straight to the floor, the glasses smashing and liquid splashing everywhere as I took in the sight before me.

I didn't know who she was, but she had her hands all over him, sitting in his lap and kissing his face off. I stared at them, my heart dropping, my stomach wanting to be sick.

He was kissing another woman…

My body was shaking, my breathing erratic, tears streaming silently down my cheeks as I watched them. I was panicking, not knowing what to do, taking in the sight of my boyfriend kissing another woman.

I did the only thing I could do. I ran, bolting out the front door, rushing out into the night air knowing I'd be sick if I looked at them for a second longer.

Dean looked up immediately when he saw me, rushing to my side as I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Fuck, Lily! What the hell is wrong?" He was checking me over, making sure I was well.

I wasn't. I was simply standing there in shock as my heart tore itself in half.

"He's… h-he's…" I couldn't carry on. I looked up at Dean, needing to get away. So I did. I bolted, running as fast as my shaking legs could carry me. I faintly heard Roman suddenly call my name out so I knew he'd rushed out to see me. But I didn't stop. I just ran and ran, not knowing which direction I was heading. I simply knew I had to get as far from the bar and Roman Reigns as possible.

How could he do this? How could he kiss another woman? His hands had been on her hips as she straddled him, and he made no effort to throw her away. They were kissing each other, and I couldn't get the vision of it out of my head.

My perfect man had betrayed me, the one person who I thought would have my back for the rest of my life. The man who I'd given my heart and my body to so willingly. I'd thought he was loyal and true. But no, he'd had another woman all over him, and he'd done nothing about it.

I finally stopped in a park when my legs could run no further, my body out of breath. I found a nearby bench, dropping onto it, letting out the tears I could no longer hold. I sobbed, my body wracked with tears, all my hurt and sadness flowing out.

This was worse than being separated from John, this was worse than anything The Authority could have thrown at me. I'd take an R.K.O a thousand times over than feel this pain. My head hurt, my body shook, my heart was broken. I couldn't take this anymore, I needed help, I needed reassurance, I needed someone who gave a damn to tell me it was all going to be okay.

So I pulled out my cellphone, scrolling down to a name and pressing the call button. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello? Lily, what is it?"

"Seth… I need you to come pick me up."

* * *

 **A huge thanks to calwitch and Lilygirl95 for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **A bit sad to see so few reviews this time round ): Don't forget to leave me a few words to let me know how you're finding this little story. I love hearing your feedback, so all is welcome.**


	21. Don't Charge Me For The Crime

**S'up!**

 **Hope everyone is well and ready for some more drama. Oh, the drama!**

 **This chapter is named after 'Don't Charge Me for the Crime' by Jonas Brothers**

* * *

Roman Reigns's Point Of View

"Lily!" I yelled as I saw her bolt from the bar without a second glance. I shouted again and again but she didn't listen, she just kept moving further and further away and I knew I'd fucked up. I'd thrown Summer from me only seconds later, but she'd kissed me long enough for Lily to see.

I'd never moved so quick in my entire life to run out the bar and catch her, but I was too late. She'd gone.

"What the fuck is going on?" asked Dean as he approached me, totally lost over what was happening.

I ran my hands through my hair, pulling at it aggressively. "I fucked up, I fucked up bad."

"What did you do?"

"She caught another woman kissing me."

Dean looked at me and blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Another woman fucking kissed me, Dean. And Lily saw!"

"Are you a fucking idiot?!" he yelled. "You kissed someone else? What the fuck?"

"That's not the worst of it," I said as the panic began to set in. "She was from The Authority. They've found us…"

xXx

Lily Watson's Point Of View

After my call to him, Seth was with me within minutes, rushing from the car towards me and wrapping his arms tightly around my quivering body. He was silent, simply holding me as I cried into his chest, my tears soaking his t-shirt. He rubbed my back soothingly, kissing my head occasionally to reassure me, letting me get my emotions out.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here," he said as sadness flooded my body, the image of the blonde woman kissing him printed on my mind, refusing to leave. It was all I could see and it was destroying me.

Their hands all over each other, her lips on his, the intimacy of the whole moment, and I saw it all. There was never a good way to see your boyfriend kissing another woman and I reacted in the only way I could. I'd ran, needing to get away from it before I was sick. I'd never hurt like this, and I just wanted it to stop.

"What happened?" Seth asked. "Where's Dean and Roman?"

"Roman… he… he…" Sobs filled me so much I could hardly talk.

"Oh, Lily," he said, hugging me tighter. "Take you're time, sweetheart."

I finally looked up at him, wiping my sore and bloodshot eyes. "He… he kissed another g-girl."

Seth's eyes widened as he looked down at me, almost finding it hard to believe my words. "What…?"

I sniffed my nose, wiping away more tears. "I went to g-get drinks, and h-he was just there… w-with her."

His face contorted then, transforming from one of sympathy into one of absolute rage. "I'd gonna fucking kill the bastard," he growled.

"No, please!" I tried. I'd already had them at each other's throats before. I couldn't stand it again. "Just… I need to get out of here."

"I'll take you back to the apartment," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and leading me to the car.

"I can't go back there," I said in fear. "He'll come back there and I can't bear to look at him right now."

"Then I'll take you to a hotel. Vegas is loaded with them," he replied, helping me into the car. Once he knew I was settled, he got in himself and began to drive.

We checked into a hotel for the night, getting a room with two single beds, Seth not wanting to leave me for anything. I didn't want him to either, not only for my sake but for the fact that I knew he'd kill Roman the moment he set his eyes on him. And I couldn't have that. No matter what had happened, I couldn't have more fighting between them.

I sat on the bed, trying to make sense of everything I'd witnessed during the night, wondering if it was all real or not.

He'd actually kissed another woman in front of me. He hadn't given me a second thought. I knew he'd drunk a lot but that was no excuse. You're faithful to your girlfriend, drunk or sober.

"How you feeling?" Seth asked as he came to sit beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, rubbing my arm comfortingly.

"Numb…" I said, staring into space, hoping I'd wake up any moment and realise it was all a dream.

He sighed. "I can't believe he'd do that to you. Are you sure what you saw was a kiss?"

I glared at him, tears pooling in my eyes again. "His lips were on hers, their fucking hands all over each other. I know what it fucking was!" I yelled.

He put up his hands defensively. "Hey. Just trying to figure all this out."

I sighed then, guilt flooding my body. "Sorry, I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"It's okay, sweetheart," he said, pulling me into a hug, which only set my tears off again. I cried into his chest, my fingers clinging to his t-shirt with all their might, needing the comfort.

I felt so lost.

Roman had been my love, my soulmate. If I didn't have him, I didn't have anyone.

"Why would he do this, Seth?" I sobbed.

"I don't know, sweetheart. But I'm never gonna let him hurt you again," he said, reassuring me. "I've got you."

He just let me cry, never letting me go once, giving me all the time and love that I needed. I should have known Seth would look after me like this. He cared for me, yearned to look after me, maybe even loved me. I'd never be alone whilst I had him in my life, and I was proud to call him one of my best friends.

I looked up at him, wiping away the tears that wouldn't stop falling. "Thanks, Seth."

"What for?" he asked with a smile. "You know I'm always here for you."

"I know. But I wanted to thank you regardless."

He grinned, kissing my forehead sweetly, pulling back and looking into my eyes. I could see it all – the love, the adoration, the undying fondness that he always blessed me with. He really was a wonderful guy.

"Any time. Anything for you…" His eyes darted down to my lips and he closed his eyes, leaning forward, ready to press them to mine.

But I couldn't.

I turned my head, his lips catching my cheek. He pulled back and looked at me in confusion and hurt.

"I'm sorry, I can't," I said sadly. "I can't, Seth."

"Why not?" he whispered, stroking my cheek tenderly. I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch.

"Because despite everything, I still love him beyond anyone else. He may have hurt me but I can't hurt him back. I love him too much."

He leaned forward, resting his forehead on my shoulder, moving his arms to hug me around my waist, almost afraid to let me go. "Even after everything he's done?"

I nodded. "I'm so sorry."

All I did was let him hold me, let him hug me, let him have his moment with me. Roman had hurt me and small part of me wondered if I should just succumb to Seth, let him make me his and forget the boyfriend who had cheated on me.

Seth was one of the most amazing men I'd ever met and any girl would be lucky to have him.

But my heart couldn't change its mind that easily. It knew who it wanted, and despite the hurt he'd caused me and the broken heart he'd created, Roman was still the love of my life. I couldn't give him up that easily.

Seth finally pulled away, looking up into my eyes. His brown eyes that were once sparkling and bright were now sad and dull. "Stay here, I'm gonna go back to the apartment and grab us some overnight things."

"Don't tell him where we are. Not yet."

"My lips will be sealed," he said, grabbing our room key and leaving to fetch our things.

xXx

Seth Rollins's Point Of View

My fingers held the steering wheel so hard as I drove that they were turning white. To say I was pissed was an understatement. I was fucking seething.

How dare he! How fucking dare he hurt her like this! The liar had told me he loved her and that he'd take care of her no matter what. We'd even fucking fought over this. Yet instead he'd chosen to kiss some sleazy blonde and break the heart of the most amazing woman in the world.

It killed me to see her sob like that, to know it was my best friend who had made her that way. I was mad considering he was the one who told me to back off because she was his. And I believed him. I thought he'd make her happy and that's what I wanted to give her the most – her happiness. So I let her go and tried to rid myself of my feelings for her.

But not now. Not now he'd broken Lily's heart and ruined the best thing he'd ever have. I'd go to the apartment, collect our things, tell him exactly what I thought then go back to her and fight to make her mine.

I'd said I would and I fucking meant it.

I pulled up to the apartment block and slowly made my way up to our home. I opened the door with my key seeing Dean and Roman already in there.

I despised the man but in that moment he looked completely destroyed and broken, his eyes bloodshot, his body curled in on itself. He did not look himself at all. They both stood as I entered.

"Where is she?" he asked. "Please tell me you have her, please tell me she's safe."

"She's fine," I said sternly. "No thanks to you."

"I can explain," he said. "Please take me to her, I need to talk to her." His voice was needy as he pleaded.

I shook my head. "She wants to be nowhere near you. And I can't say I blame her. I'm just here to get us some things and then I'm going."

"This isn't what you think," said Dean calmly, and I growled, finding it unbelievable that he'd side with the man who had hurt Lily like this.

"He fucking kissed another woman in front of her! What else is there to think?" I yelled. "The bastard is an idiot. I'd hit you in the fucking face right now but I know it would kill Lily if I did it." I entered her bedroom, grabbing her some clothes and toiletries, filling a bag with what I could.

"It's not like that," Roman said weakly and I could see how this was affecting him. He looked devastated, obliterated, like this whole situation was ruining him.

"Then what's it like, Roman?" I asked, filling the bag with my own things before standing face to face with him, not willing to back down. "What's it fucking like?"

"She was sent by The Authority…" said Dean, his arms folded.

 _Whoa… Hang on… What..?_

I looked at him, my eyebrows furrowed, my anger dissipating and turning into confusion. "What?"

This changed everything, not only between Roman, Lily and myself, but between the four of us and The Shield.

"It was a set up," he explained. "Lily was obviously meant to see it. The girl waited till Lily was in sight and kissed him, knowing she'd see and react just like this."

I looked back to Roman. "You didn't purposely cheat?"

"No," he said. "I need to explain this to her. I need her to understand that I didn't mean to hurt her. I could never hurt her."

"But if they sent someone after us, they know where we are," I said, the two of them nodding.

"Exactly," Dean said.

"Have you told Cena?" I asked.

"Yes, I've already phoned John," Dean said. "We need to leave the apartment and Vegas."

"She's heartbroken," I explained. "She won't see you tonight, she's adamant about it." Roman ran his hands over his face, clearly not liking my words.

"Then take care of her tonight," Dean suggested. "Roman and I will come to your hotel once we've locked the apartment up and stay in another room without her knowing. Then in the morning you can convince her to see us and we can iron all this out."

I nodded, my emotions mixed.

Firstly I felt guilt, guilt that I'd distrusted my brother in the first place. I knew he loved Lily and would never do anything to purposely hurt her in anyway. I should have known it was a set up from the beginning and shouldn't have jumped to conclusions.

Secondly there was concern and fear. The Authority knew where we were and that meant danger. We'd have to leave and run again, getting Lily as far from them as we could.

Finally I felt heartbreak knowing that any slither of a chance I'd had with Lily was gone, especially after Roman's explanation. He'd tell her what really happened and she'd go back to him. She really was a lost cause to me now… She'd never be mine.

"Alright," I said, running a hand through my hair. "I'll carry on and you guys phone me when you've come."

"We will," said Dean as I grabbed my bag, heading for the door.

"Seth?" Roman asked. I turned to look at him. "Take care of her for me, okay? And let her know I love her."

I gave him a small smile, indicating that I would, and finally left the apartment.

* * *

 **Thanks to** **sebastianm101** **, calwitch, KakaLove and Lilygirl95 for their lovely words about the last chapter.**

 **Little question for you all as I'm not sure where to go at the moment. Do you guys want Seth to turn on them like in WWE or stay loyal? I have story ideas for both choices but wanted to know what my readers thought. Review and let me know!**


	22. End Of The Beginning

**Hello!**

 **The general consensus was for Seth to remain loyal. A part of me wanted him to turn so we could see the drama that could ensue from that, but loyalty makes more sense. So loyal it is!**

 **This chapter is named after 'End Of The Beginning' by 30 Seconds To Mars**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

Seth slept beside me that night. There was nothing sordid about it, nothing sexual, and it wasn't to get back at Roman by sleeping beside his so-called love rival. It was purely because I needed reassurance, I needed company, I needed a friend.

I couldn't bear to be alone that night, so he shared my bed. He didn't touch me, hold me or hug me. He just slept beside me, relaxing me when I woke during the night.

And believe me, it happened several times during the night.

The nightmares had returned.

Course they had, the one person who kept them away was no longer beside me. His warmth wasn't there, the bed didn't smell of him, he wasn't present for me to roll over and cuddle when everything got bad.

So even though Seth was right beside me, it made no difference. I still felt lost, I still felt alone.

All I wanted was Roman.

Roman Reigns, the man who I loved and adored above any other, the man who had made me feel alive… the man who'd broken my heart.

Tears fell silently down my cheeks as I sat up in bed.

I had never felt pain like this before, not even when I was taken by The Authority and parted from my brother. It was indescribable and horrendous, but it had taken over my body, mind and soul, attacking every nerve, every bone, every organ, refusing to die down or stop.

Only one person could fix my heart right now, and he was the one who had broken it in the first place.

I should hate him for what he did. He played me and strung me along for months, allowing me to believe that he loved me and that we had something worthwhile, something to hold onto, something to fight for. He had become my world… my life… my entire being and everything I did was for him. He was probably laughing at me behind my back the whole time, especially considering how fast I had fallen for him and believe me, I fell for my Roman… hard. I should despise him and never want to see him again.

But I didn't.

Sure, he didn't feel for me, he'd cheated on me after all but I would _always_ feel for him. I loved him more than life itself and nothing he did to me would stop that, not even him cheating on me. I didn't want anyone else, I would never want anyone else. All I wanted was Roman. No-one else even mattered to me like Roman did. I adored… worshiped… loved him.

I lazily dragged my gaze down to Seth and saw through my blurred vision that he was sound asleep. I was grateful that he was. The last thing I needed was sympathy from the man whose heart I was slowly breaking myself.

I moved my eyes again and continued staring at the bedroom wall like a zombie. It still didn't feel real. It's one of those things that you see happening to others, but you think will never happen to you. That argument was only strengthened for me by the way Roman and I acted around each other. I thought he loved me, he was so… convincing at it. Even though his feelings obviously hadn't been genuine, I thought they were. So when I saw him kissing the blonde in the bar, I had to blink and let it register in my head.

I just felt broken… completely and utter broken.

I finally lay back down around 5am and closed my eyes, willing sleep to come so I could finally escape this living nightmare. It finally came, but it was the worst night's sleep of my life.

xXx

"Want any breakfast?" Seth asked me the next morning, checking his phone.

I shook my head, my eyes fixed on the wall. "No." My voice was monotonous, void of all emotion.

He sighed. "Lily, you need to snap out of this."

 _Was he kidding?_

I glared at him. "Snap out of it? Did you honestly just suggest that? I've had my heart broken by the man I loved. You be in my fucking position and try and snap out of it!"

"I have, every day since you turned me down," he said sternly. "So if I can manage it, you can."

I looked away, feeling shitter than ever, hating his dirty tactics. "Way to make me feel worse, Seth."

He let out a breath, moving to sit beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, that wasn't fair of me. All I'm saying is maybe we should try getting over this or try sorting it out." He looked at his phone again.

"I can't, not yet," I replied.

He stood and headed over to the door. "Well I hate to me mean and pushy but it's happening anyway."

My heart dropped as he turned the door handle. "Seth… you haven't…"

He had.

The door opened, Dean and Roman making their way into our room. I sat up, my eyes glaring at Seth so hard I'm surprised he didn't set on fire.

I went from sad to pissed in a nano-second.

The bastard had told them where we were, the traitor had brought him to me despite me asking him repeatedly not to. Angry wasn't the word to describe me, I was beyond that. I stood, marching over to him.

"You bastard! You fucking brought them here!" I yelled, ready to hit him, but Dean grabbed me before I could, pulling me back. "Let me go!"

"Calm down, darlin'," he said. "Rollins isn't in the wrong here."

"No, _he_ is," I said, looking at Roman for the first time since the incident. He looked haggard, broken, lost, like this whole thing had sucked the happiness and life out of him.

 _Well how does he fucking think I feel?_

Roman looked down, flinching with hurt at my words. A pang of guilt shot through my heart, but the memory of him kissing the girl quickly pushed that away. He'd hurt me, maybe it was nice for him to feel some of it too.

"Listen," Dean said. "I'm gonna let you go and I want you to promise you won't get mad at Roman or Seth."

"I can't make any promises," I said through gritted teeth, not sure which man I wanted to kill first – the cheater or the betrayer.

"Well I'm gonna have to trust you won't," Dean said. "Because we have some serious business to talk about."

He slowly loosened his grip on my body, letting me go. I walked away from them, grabbing a chair and sitting at the opposite side of the room, not wanting to be anywhere near them.

One man who I thought loved me had cheated, one man who I thought loved me had given me away even though I'd specifically asked him not to, and the other seemed to be siding with both of them.

I fucking hated The Shield right now.

I sat down on the chair, crossed my legs and folded my arms. I looked at Roman. "Fine, talk, because I can't fucking wait to hear what you have to say." He took a step towards me. "I didn't say come near me, I said talk."

He stopped moving, taking a step back, running a hand through his long hair. "There's a lot to explain, Lily."

"You're damn right there is."

"What happened last night… it wasn't what it looked like."

"Oh, that's funny," I said. "Because to me it looked like you had your tongue down another girl's throat."

"It's not that black and white," he tried.

"I'm your girlfriend, Roman," I yelled. "Well at least I thought I was. Obviously I was just some girl to pacify you, some chick who you could kiss and fuck during this whole thing until something thinner and prettier came along."

"It's not like that!" he yelled, suddenly getting angry at my words. I didn't care, I was ready for it.

"Then please explain to me why the fuck you had another woman all over you the second I turned my back?"

"It was a set up," interjected Dean.

I stared at him, wondering what the fuck he was on about. "What do you mean, a set up?"

"She was Authority, Lily," Seth said. "Roman was set up as a way for them to get back at us and break us apart."

I stared at all three of them sceptically, not knowing what to think.

"You're lying," I accused, not wanting to believe The Authority had been involved. I couldn't believe it, I refused to accept they had anything to do with this.

"I wish," said Dean. "That's why Seth's brought us here even though you asked him not to. They've found us, and we need to leave as soon as possible."

The more they spoke, the more I believed them. And the more I believed them, the more the panic began to take over my body.

"B-But… they can't… they can't have," I said. "We were safe here."

"So did we," Roman said, approaching me quickly, kneeling in front of me, taking my hands in his. This time I didn't push him away. "Baby girl, they're here. They've set us up and they've tried to drive us apart. I would never cheat on you." He moved his hand to stroke my cheek. "I love you, Lily. Do you honestly think I'd ever hurt you like that?"

"I never wanted to believe it," I said, staring into his big grey eyes. "But I saw it, and I thought…"

"That makes sense, sweetheart," he said softly. "I'd have thought the same. But they set us up. That girl was purposely put there and purposely kissed me."

"So you didn't?"

He smiled lovingly. "No, never. You seriously think I'd go for another girl when I have someone as amazing as you?"

I didn't say anything, I simply leaned forward, pressed my lips to his in a gentle kiss and allowed him to wrap his arms around me, silently accepting his story and forgiving him. I rested my head on his chest, hugging the man who I loved as tightly as possible.

I hated myself right now, hated myself for doubting him, hated myself for accusing him of something so terrible. I'd jumped to conclusions and just assumed the worst, automatically thinking that he had done the worst of the worst. Of course he loved me, of course he didn't cheat.

But that led us to a greater issue.

I pulled back, looking at all three of their concerned faces. "How did they find us?"

"Don't know," said Seth. "But I really don't wanna stick around and find out. We've risked ourselves enough by staying here overnight. We need to leave as soon as we can."

"Where do we head to?" I asked, Roman clasping my shaking hands in his in a feeble attempt to calm me down.

"Just drive until-" began Dean.

But what happened next happened so fast it was like a blur in front of my eyes.

The door of our room was suddenly booted open, several men all in black flooding the room. Roman leapt up, standing protectively in front of me, Dean and Seth doing the same. There were so many of them, some I didn't recognise and some faces I'd hoped to never see again. Randy Orton, Kane, Big Show.

Only this time they were not alone. This time they had some major back up, and some major weapons, several of the men holding guns. They surrounded us, totally outnumbering us. This was unlike the fight in the desert where we had a chance of escape. We were totally blocked in and cornered in this tiny room, the sight of guns making The Shield less reluctant to fight back.

Suddenly my three protectors were grabbed by the men, unable to fight back or free themselves due to the guns that were quickly pointed at their heads.

Orton quickly came up behind me, grabbing me and holding me still. I wanted to scream, shout, cry, anything! I could barely stand on my own two feet, the panic shivering through my body to the point where I could hardly stand. Orton held my body up.

They'd found us…

We all looked to the door as a man appeared, all dressed neatly in a suit and tie. Dean growled, the boys not happy at the sight of him.

Triple H.

He walked towards me, smiling smugly and sweetly down at me, the room falling silent.

"Oh, you do not know the trouble you have caused me," he said, straightening his tie a little. I tried to shake free but Orton had me tight. "You've been as much trouble as your brother."

"Back off, Hunter," Seth warned, but the man who held him hit him across the head to silence him, a trail of blood slowly tumbling from Seth's temple.

I squeaked in horror, my mouth running dry, my petrified eyes looking back up at Triple H.

"But you know what they say, if you want something done properly, you do it yourself… Take them away, boys," he said, the men pulling The Shield out of the room and out of sight.

"NO! ROMAN!" I screamed, needing to get to them, unable to be parted from them. "DEAN! SETH! PLEASE!"

"Randy?" Triple H said. "You know what to do."

A damp cloth was suddenly thrust into my face, my nose absorbing the fumes, my body weakening, the world slowly fading to black.

* * *

 **Thank you to** **sebastianm101** **, Lilygirl95, calwitch and my guest reviewer for their kind words about the last chapter.**


	23. You Found Me

**Hey, everyone!**

 **Hope you're all liking the story. I'm starting to see the end coming now and it's sad. I've loved this story. But we have to get there first and it's gonna be crazy. Lets have more drama! Some of you have guessed or suspected this chapter was coming. I've been planning it for ages and am so happy it's finally here.**

 **This chapter is named after 'You Found Me' by The Fray.**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

When I finally came too, I noticed my head pounding wildly, the after effects of whatever had put me to sleep still lingering. My body felt weak and cold, my mind quickly noticing I was lying on a cold hard stone floor. It took a while for my eyes to look around and focus on my surroundings, my brain foggy, but I soon discovered I was in a cell, much like the one I had originally been in when I was first taken. Only this one was far bigger.

I slowly sat up, resting against the stone wall behind me, drawing my knees up to my chest. I wrapped my arms around my legs and closed my eyes, wondering how the hell I'd managed to get back here.

What had happened?

How had they found us?

How had I ended up back here in the one place I never wanted to be again?

I sighed, willing away the tears that I knew were dying to fall.

I always thought we'd be safe, I always held the hope that we'd never be found. The Shield were such good protectors, always looking out for me and doing whatever they could to make sure I was constantly safe. They had never once faltered, always finding a way to keep me safe no matter what came our way.

The ambush on the cabin, the time I'd tried to run from the motel, the attack in the desert. Each and every time they went the extra mile, being my shield and putting me constantly above themselves. I never felt in danger, I never felt there was the potential of being taken. They protected me so damn well that I figured we could run forever and never be caught.

But they'd caught us out. I wasn't sure how but The Authority had tracked us down.

And now I had no idea where my hounds were.

My first initial thought was that they were dead, that The Authority would have thought fuck it, and just disposed of them. But that wasn't the type of thing they did. It was never that easy or simple. The Authority would want them to suffer, to draw out any punishment they were going to give them.

Not only were The Shield ex-Authority but they'd completely changed sides and helped their number one enemy, John Cena. Triple H would never take that lightly, he'd want to make them suffer for as long as humanly possible. So I quickly took death out of the equation. Which brought me to me next thought.

Torture.

I shuddered at the thought.

It was disgusting, painful and they could make it last as long as they wanted. I couldn't bear to think of what they would do to my friends. To my best friend Dean, my kind hearted Seth… my soulmate Roman.

I wanted to be sick at the thought of what was happening to him right now. The torture, the pain, the hell thye were putting him through. The tears finally slipped silently down my cheeks and I buried my face in my knees, unable to fathom the idea that he was hurting, that all three of them would be hurting… All because they chose to help me.

They'd always said they didn't care and it's what they wanted to do, but I knew their being here was my fault. If they hadn't come for me they would be free right now, living their lives however they pleased. But instead they were locked up somewhere, suffering.

I shook my head, wiping away the tears.

If they were doing that to them, what would they do to me?

Not only was I John Cena's sister, but I'd escaped from them too. They wouldn't stand for that, and I knew I was pretty much fucked no matter what I did. I was gonna pay big time for getting away and outrunning them for so long. And they'd make it extra worse, not only to make an example of me, but to show John they didn't take shit from anyone.

Torture may have been the only option for The Shield, but I honestly considered death as an option for me.

They'd kill me, I was certain of it. And they'd do it in the most dramatic and flamboyant way possible. They'd enjoy every moment and let the pain linger. It wouldn't be a quick and painless death, it would be slow… torturous… a living hell.

I took a deep breath.

Whatever they did, I knew I had to be brave. John had always taught me that, to be brave and never give up. If they were going to end me in the way I thought they would, I'd die with my head held high, not some quivering little girl with not an ounce of bravery in her body.

I was John Cena's sister, and the fourth member of The Shield.

And I'd prove I was just that until the very end.

A light cough from the other side of the cell quickly broke me from my thoughts, my head darting over to the noise. Whatever it was was hidden by a small bench, covered in the shadows of the dark cell. I held my breath, tensing my body a little in defence. The noise was from inside the cell, so I knew it wasn't anyone bad. It was a rather big cell so I wondered whether I wasn't alone. Perhaps more prisoners were being housed here too.

I cautiously crawled over, my body ready to fight should I need too.

"Hello?" I asked. "Who's there?" A cough came again, the person clearly unwell. "Hello?"

I finally approached the bench, the person's form coming into light. It was a woman, small in size and very thin. She looked a little dirty, as if she'd been here a while, black bags under her eyes. Her blonde hair looked dull, her brown eyes lacklustre, like all the life had been sucked out of them.

She recoiled in fear as I drew closer, afraid to be anywhere near me, so I held out a hand for her, showing her I meant no harm. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

She stared at me a while, apprehensively debating my words. "You're not?"

"No," I smiled softly. "I'm a prisoner too. Us girls have gotta stick together right?"

She finally smiled, holding the hand I'd offered her. Her fingers were ice cold. "Right."

"See, that wasn't so bad. I'm Lily," I tried, attempting to calm her and ease any worries she had about my presence. I wondered what she was in here for.

"R-Renee," she replied.

 _What…?_

I froze.

"Wait… what did you say?" I whispered, unsure if I'd misheard her.

"Renee," she said again.

 _Oh my god…_

A lump swelled in my throat, my mouth running dry as my heart pounded in realisation.

"Holy fucking shit…" I murmured my eyes wide as I took in the girl before me.

I'd found her… she'd been lost for over a year, feared dead and gone. But no, she'd been here the entire time, wasting away and falling into nothing. I'd told Dean all those weeks ago at the cabin that I'd help him find the woman he loved, and I had. She was alive and I'd found her.

I'd found Renee.

"Wait, wait. Let me make sure I heard you right. Did you say Renee?" I asked, wanting to be clear.

"Yes," she said, confused by my constant questioning.

"Holy shit, I've found you for him," I said, though it was more to myself, my mind in total shock.

"I don't understand," she said.

"This may seem a little overwhelming right now, and you're gonna think I'm mad, but I know you. I've been looking for you, and now I've finally found you."

She looked at me with fear then, her weak body attempting to scuttle away from me. "Who are you?"

"My name is Lily Watson," I began. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise. I'm a friend of The Shield's."

This piqued her interest, her eyes widening. "The… The Shield?"

"Yes," I said, slowly approaching her again whilst I knew I had some semblance of trust from her. I held up my hands defensively, showing her I meant no harm. "They came here with me. I'm not sure where they are right now, but I'm gonna get us all out of here somehow."

"Is… Is D-Dean with them?" she asked, and I'd never seen so much hope in a person's eyes before.

I nodded. "He's here, Renee. He's been helping me and he's been looking for you."

Tears built in her eyes, her hand grasping her mouth in both shock and relief. "Oh god…"

"It's a lot to take in, I know. But I need you to remain calm," I said. "I'm gonna figure something out and we're all getting out of here safely."

How the fuck I'd manage this, I had no idea. But my priorities had changed now. I'd finally found Renee and there was no way I was letting her go. Whatever plan I came up with, it involved her too.

I had to get out of here but there was no way the boys and I could scale this place alone, especially with the high security we were now under. Renee was too weak to move right now, and I'd be completely useless at defending her if they found we'd escaped. I hated to admit it, but I'd have to leave her here until I found The Shield. They could help me carry her and get us out of here quicker.

And then it dawned on me. I didn't have a fucking clue where they were. This place was vast and huge and I didn't have a single lead on their whereabouts.

I'd have to leave alone.

I was one person and I could not fight The Authority without back-up.

That's when a plan sprung into my head.

I had to get out of here as quick as possible without detection and fetch the only person who could help me save The Shield and Renee.

I had to get John.

My big brother would know exactly what to do, he always did. The amount of friends he had, all who wanted to bring The Authority down, would mean we'd have a decently sized group, not only to save The Shield and Renee but to destroy The Authority completely.

This would be all out war, but I had to do something.

The Shield had spent the last few months keeping me safe and protected, it was finally my turn to return the favour. Footsteps down a corridor alerted me to a presence, both Renee and I looking up to find the owner of the footsteps.

I scurried away from Renee, wanting whoever it was to think I hadn't found her here. Her safety meant everything. She looked at me in concern but I simply winked at her, letting her know things were okay.

Randy Orton soon appeared on the other side of our barred cell, looking down at me with that irritating smug smirk he always had. I noticed a set of keys around his waist.

This was it; I had to do this now. I didn't know when I'd get another chance like this so I planned to make the most of it.

He had some food in his hand, sliding the plate of bread through the cell bars.

"Grubs up," he said. "Make the most of it. It's all you're getting today."

I grabbed it, taking a bite. "It's stale."

"This isn't a fucking five star restaurant, sweetheart," he said. "Be grateful you've got any food at all."

I stood, making my way over to him so only the cell bars stood in our way. "I want something else."

I had to be brave, I had to show strength and not cower like a weakling.

He sniggered. "Fuck off, sweetheart."

"You fuck off, Randy," I said, raising my eyebrow in a challenge.

He sniggered. "Don't try and act big, little girl. You're indescribably weak without your pathetic hounds around you."

"Who said I need the hounds…?"

And with that I grabbed his head, pulling it down and banging it straight off the steel bar. He fell to the floor out cold, blood dripping from his forehead. He didn't move.

"Holy shit, I did it…" I mumbled to myself, shocked at my own actions. But I didn't have time to think about it. He could wake up at any moment so I knew I'd have to be quick. I grabbed the keys from his waist and quickly rushed over to Renee.

"He's old cold!" she said, surprised after witnessing the entire thing.

"Renee, I need you to stay here, okay?" I said, taking her hands in mine. "I need to go fetch backup. But I promise, I will be back for you."

"But-"

"Do you trust me?" I asked her.

She looked at me closely. "I trust any friend of Dean's."

"Then trust me when I say I will be back. Keep safe and keep quiet, okay?"

She nodded. I squeezed her hands before running to the cell door and unlocking it. I didn't look back, I just ran.

I was stealthy in my movements, being as quiet and silent as possible. I snuck upstairs, the décor of the building much nicer here. I recognised the corridor from the first time The Shield had escaped with me, so I knew I could find my way out. Only I didn't have them this time. It was just me all on my own.

I took a deep breath, taking the corridors one by one, running when I could and hiding when someone stood in my way. I used my small size to hide easily, surprisingly slipping out of the front door without issue.

How I'd made it outside, I had no idea. But I didn't stop to reflect, I simply ran. I ran as fast as I could, tears slipping down my cheeks, tears of joy at my escape, and tears of sadness at leaving my friends behind.

Roman's face ran through my mind, my body fighting to keep the sobs away as I pushed my aching legs to move before I was caught. It destroyed me that I was leaving him behind to suffer who knows what, but it was for the best. I needed to get to John so I could come back for everyone stronger than ever.

 _I'll be back for you, my love. Don't you worry…_

So I ran and ran and ran, knowing I'd probably just started a war.

* * *

 **A big thank you to** **sebastianm101** **,** **KakaLove** **,** **calwitch** **,** **SnowWhiteWolf14** **and Bajor10 for their lovely words about the last chapter.**


	24. Rescue Me

**Hey, hey, lovely readers!**

 **We're definitely beginning to get to the end of this story now. *inserts frowny face* But I plan to have some fun, some drama and some awesome story telling along the way.**

 **We finally met Renee last chapter and I've been so excited to introduce her for weeks! I planned for Lily to find her from the very beginning of writing this little story, so it was great for it to finally happen. You all seemed to love it too, so it was definitely a success.**

 **This chapter is named after 'Rescue Me' by Tokio Hotel**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

It felt like I'd been travelling for months but in reality it had only been a few days. A few long and tiresome days of hiding, hitchhiking and desperately finding travel arrangements in order to get back to Florida and back to John. The road had been long but I was slowly getting closer and closer.

I found it quite ironic that this was due to be the end product anyway – me going back home safely and soundly. And here I was doing just that. But this wasn't the ending anymore, now I was glad to go to Florida in order to eventually return to Authority headquarters. I had four very good reasons to go back, and I wouldn't stop till those four reasons were safely with me.

I sat in the back of the moving truck I'd sneaked into, hiding underneath some tarpaulin so the driver couldn't see me, thinking about those four reasons.

Seth… Dean… Renee… Roman…

They'd spent so long fighting The Authority and fighting for me, striving to protect me, using all their might to keep me safe from the enemy. The guys had done so much for me, they'd risked their lives and put everything on the line to help the little stranger whose brother had hired them to help her.

They owed me nothing, I was no one to them, they could have even turned the job down. But they didn't, they came for me and got me out of there. And over time so much grew between them and I. A genuine camaraderie, some of the strongest and dearest friendships I'd ever experienced, and a love that would last a lifetime.

I'd never been so determined in my life. I was going to free them, I was going to rally the troops and get the four of them out of there.

I'd do it, or fucking die trying.

The night air surrounded me so I settled down, letting my eyes close, giving my body some much needed sleep and rest. The gentle rocking of the truck as it moved eased me to sleep like a baby and I was out like a light. I'd barely relaxed since I'd left the headquarters, I was constantly on the move. I didn't have time to stop, needing to get to my brother quickly.

The longer I left it, the more opportunity there was to hurt and torture my friends. And there was no way I was letting that happen.

I wasn't sure how long I'd slept for, but when my eyes opened the sun was beginning to rise, the sky orange as the day began. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, wondering how far I'd travelled overnight. The road signs that passed us told me Florida was two miles away, my body suddenly becoming alert and awake knowing I was so close.

 _I'm almost there…_

The truck finally entered the city and I hopped out when it came to a standstill, running as fast as my exhausted body could take me before I was spotted. I knew this place like the back of my hand; I'd lived here all my life. So I knew it would only take a matter of minutes to get home. I was swift, knowing The Authority would have discovered my escape by now and would no doubt be searching for me. I'd gotten this far, the last thing I needed now was capture.

The city slowly faded as I entered the suburban and residential areas where the homes and houses were situated. I ran and ran, John's house finally coming into sight. I'd never been so happy to see the giant white mansion in all my life.

I reached the large iron gate, keyed in the code to open it and ran to the front door, banging my fist on the wood with all my might.

"John!" I cried urgently. "John!"

I could hear footsteps coming from inside, the handle turning and the door finally opening. It was Nikki.

"Hi, how can I-" She froze when she saw me standing there, out of breath, dirty and tired. "Lily…?"

"Nikki, where's John?" I asked, barging past her, having no time for emotional reunions. I needed to get my plan into action right now.

She stared at me wide eyed, her body paralyzed to the ground. "You're home…" Tears began to well in her eyes, her hand shooting to her mouth in shock. "Oh my god, you're home."

"Nikki, please," I begged, grabbing her shoulders. "I need to talk to John now."

"You're safe," she smiled, tears of joy tumbling down her cheeks.

 _Oh this is no fucking good._

I didn't have time for this, so I left her to sob, rushing upstairs, knowing my brother was probably in his office. He usually had work emails to sort on a daily basis so spent a lot of his time at his computer.

I marched through the hallways of the house until I reached his office. I didn't bother knocking, I simply opened the door and walked inside.

There he was, my precious brother, sitting at his desk. I'd missed him so much, and even though I needed my plan to come into action urgently, I couldn't help the way my emotions erupted in my heart upon seeing him. He looked paler than I remember, his eyes dull and sullen, and I knew my being away had taken its toll on him.

He looked up at me, not quite believing what he was seeing. "L-Lily…"

"John," I said, unable to hide my emotions in any longer. I ran to him, leaping into his wide open arms. He held me tightly, afraid to let me go, my own arms wrapping round his body. Tears slipped down my cheeks, soaking his shirt as a gentle sob left my lips. I'd missed him so fucking much. There was no greater man on this earth than my big brother, and I never wanted to be parted from him again.

We finally pulled away, John wiping my tears away with his thumb. "You're home. How the hell…? Last I heard you were in Vegas."

I nodded. "They captured us. I don't know how but they found us." Nikki finally joined us, the three of us finally united.

"They found you?" asked Nikki in surprise.

"Yes," I nodded at her. "But I got out of there. I escaped, John."

"I can't believe it," he said, unable to keep the smile from his face.

"But I need to go back. I need you're help and I need to go back to Authority headquarters."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What? Go back? Are you crazy?"

I shook my head. "They have The Shield, John. I need to return, we need to get them out of there."

"Lily, I've just got you back. There's no way I'm letting you go again."

"I can't just leave them after everything they've done for me and for you," I said, concern in my tone.

"It's too dangerous," he said sternly. "We cannot risk ourselves like that!"

"No!" I yelled. "You're always teaching me about hustle, loyalty and respect, John! Well those men have been nothing but loyal to me so I'm being nothing but loyal to them! They're my friends and we are fucking going back for them!"

He sighed then knowing it was the correct thing to do. "Yes… You're right. We can't leave them."

"Thank you," I said in relief. "We need to rally an army, and I know you have plenty friends who want nothing more than to see The Authority brought down to its knees."

"I can make a few phone-calls and see who I can get on board," he said, sitting back at his desk and picking up his phone.

I smiled confidently, knowing something was finally happening.

 _Don't worry, guys. I'm coming for you…_

xXx

John said he'd rally an army and he did just that. Every friend he called agreed to fight with us, each one wanting to bring The Authority down. Dolph Ziggler, Neville, Ryback, Undertaker, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan, R-Truth, Jack Swagger, Zak Ryder and many others agreed to fight with us. The Authority had made a lot of enemies over the years and they were now finally rising above them.

The plan was that a certain number of us would go in and attack The Authority directly, whilst me, John and a couple others would go in search of The Shield and Renee. I figured they were being kept in the cell area, but it was huge, so we needed as many people to look as we could.

I wouldn't rest until I found them. Of that I was certain.

We all travelled together in a group and it didn't take us long to get there. John knew exactly where it was, and he was as geared up as I was to fight.

The Authority had been a thorn in his side for years, their ongoing fight a constant worry on his mind. But they had clearly gone too far when they had taken me and John was sick of it. He wasn't standing for it any longer.

He didn't just want to bring The Authority down, he wanted to completely destroy them for good.

The headquarters was insight and we hid in the woods surrounding the building, one half of the group going after The Authority whilst John, Neville, Cesaro and I snuck around the back, heading to where the prisoners were kept. We kept close together, hiding where we could.

Several guards surrounded the door to where the prisoners were kept, but it didn't take Neville long to take them out. He was quick and nimble; they never saw him coming. The men dropped to the floor with one hit, clearly very weak guards. I wasn't complaining as it made our job a hell of a lot easier. We took the keys from their belts and let ourselves inside.

The corridors were like a maze, but I recognised the route from my two escapes from this vile place. John trusted my sense of direction so I guided us all to the cells.

"Any clue where they could be?" John whispered to me as we walked.

"Not a clue," I said sadly. "There's another prisoner I need to reach too. I know exactly where she is but I need The Shield first."

"Gotcha," said John.

They could be anywhere so the only option we had was to peek into every cell we passed. Each door had a tiny window so it would be easy to gaze in and see each cell's occupant.

We took down any guards that crossed our path and looked in each and every cell. Some were empty and some were occupied, but we didn't leave a single stone unturned. We looked and looked and looked, my mind slowly loosing faith when we found nothing. The worst began to run through my thoughts and I had to wonder if they'd moved them or done something terrible… like killed them.

I shook my head.

No, I couldn't think like that. I needed to remain optimistic, I had to keep faith that I'd find them unhurt and unharmed. That faith was fully restored when I spotted that familiar brown and blonde hair in one of the cells.

I used the keys we'd stolen and opened the door, opening it wide.

"Seth!" I cried, my heart pounding with pure joy at seeing my friend.

He looked up at me from his seat on the floor. "Lily? Holy shit!"

I launched myself at him, throwing my arms around him and embracing him tightly. He buried his face in my neck, afraid to let me go as he held me.

If Seth was here, surely the other two were as well. They weren't dead, they were perfectly alive and fine. If I could find Seth, I knew Dean and Roman wouldn't be far.

I pulled back to look at him. He had a black eye and a few cuts across his skin, so I knew he'd been tortured and hurt. I was just relived I had found him safely. That was the main thing.

"You okay?" I asked him, checking him over.

"I'm fine," he smiled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you, of course," I smiled.

"And she brought reinforcements," said John as he popped his head round the door.

"Cena?" he asked in confusion, not expecting to see my brother. "What's going on?"

"Guess who escaped and went home to Florida?" I asked feeling very proud of myself. "I couldn't fight them on my own, so who better to fetch than my brother?"

He smiled. "You are amazing, do you know that?"

"I've been told once or twice," I winked. We stepped outside the cell seeing Neville and Cesaro searching the other rooms still. "Do you know where Dean and Roman are being kept?" I asked Seth.

"Not a clue," he said sadly. "I haven't seen them since the capture."

"Fuck," I whispered knowing we still had a tough search ahead of us.

"Got one!" said Cesaro suddenly, looking through the window of one of the doors. I threw him the keys and he opened the door, Dean emerging. He looked as tired and hurt as Seth.

I launched myself into his arms, overjoyed to see the lunatic once again.

"Well you took your time in saving us," he joked as he held me. "I've missed you, kid."

"Missed you too," I smiled.

Two down, one to go.

My heart pounded as we looked for Roman, all six of us checking every cell. I needed to know he was okay, I needed to find him and keep him safe. With every cell we looked in, the worry began to build. We were running out of places to look and he still hadn't been found.

"Lily, over here!" called John. I ran to him, looking through the window of a cell, a tiny gasp of relief leaving my lips as I saw him.

 _Oh god… I've found him…_

He was sitting on the floor, his eyes closed. His body was covered in bruises, my hatred for The Authority growing even stronger knowing they'd hurt this precious man. Taking the keys from Cesaro, I opened the door and slowly entered the cell.

He barely moved as I entered, his body only moving through breathing. I carefully knelt before him.

"Roman?" I asked gently. "Sweetheart?"

I cupped his cheek with my hand, his eyes shooting open, his mouth growling out of pure defence. I didn't show any fear, I stood my ground as his face visibly relaxed once he noticed who I was.

"Lily…?" he whispered incredulously.

"It's me," I smiled, stroking his cheek with my thumb.

He could not stop staring, his mouth slightly agape, totally overwhelmed by the whole thing. He had tears in his eyes just like me. But that wasn't all that was in his eyes. I could see it, the pure, unconditional love that he had for me and I now knew that we would never leave each other's side again. He loved me and he always would, just as I loved him.

"L-Lily?" he whispered again, his whole body shaking. I could hear the confusion and naivety in his voice, but I could also hear the pure joy in it too. I had no idea what had happened to him whilst he was here, but it obviously wasn't for the better. Yet seeing me had awoken in him the Roman I knew and loved. He was just relieved to see me.

"Yes, it's me, love. I'm here. You're safe now, you don't have to worry anymore."

He looked at me a few seconds longer, almost as if he was assessing the truth of what was in front of him, almost as if my presence here was some sort of dream in his eyes. Slowly, he lifted his hand up and grazed his fingertips across my cheek. His touch was magnificent, my whole body tingling at the mere feel of his skin upon mine once again. Nothing would ever feel as good as this… as good as him. His fingertips ran across all of my face, slowly, gradually, bit by bit, checking for the reality of my presence. His eyes sparkled after a while and I knew that it all must have registered in his head. I was here and I was here for him.

"My Lily," he cried as he suddenly launched himself at me, encasing me safely and warmly in his big strong arms.

"I'm here, love. It's okay now," I told him, crying into his hair, rubbing his back soothingly. I could hardly breathe with how tightly he was holding me, but I could not complain. I was holding him just the same, afraid to let him go. The two of us could not stop sobbing… but I knew they were tears of joy.

He was here… in my arms… so soft and warm… finally with me at last. It was as if in that moment, all the worry, fear and terror I had been feeling over the past few days disappeared into thin air and all I could feel now was relief, happiness and pure irrevocable love for the man in front of me. His tears were dampening my shirt, but that was the last thing I was thinking about. All I could see was him. His form, his scent, his wet tears, his soft skin and body holding my own…

I had done what I set out to do… I had saved him.

He pulled back then, his eyes red from crying and I had never seen a sight more beautiful in all my life.

"Is-is it r-really you?" he asked, his voice broken from crying. "P-please tell me it's y-you."

"Yes, Roman," I chuckled, moving his hair away from his face. "It's me."

He cried with a smile then and brought his lips to my face, kissing the salty tears away. He kissed my cheek, my nose, my forehead, my eyelids, everywhere, finally settling on my lips. It was sweet, passionate and longing, the kiss showing each other our undeniable love for the other. He was mine and I was his. I assured him of my undying love, kissing him with pure adoration. As we broke apart I collapsed into him, nuzzling his neck and holding him close to me. My smile was huge and satisfied.

He was alright and he was safe at last.

A light cough from behind us reminded me that we weren't alone. I turned to see my brother, knowing he'd probably just witnessed everything. He didn't say anything, he simply smiled. He could see how I felt about Roman, and I knew we'd have to discuss this eventually. But for now I was back with him, and this kept me happy enough.

We emerged from the cell, the three brothers hugging each other in reunion.

"So how do we get out of here now?" Seth asked.

"We don't, not yet," I said. "We have one more person to get. Dean, come with me…"

* * *

 **A huge thanks to** **sebastianm101** **,** **Tantoune** **,** **Lilygirl95** **,** **KairiAnneYukari21** **,** **raaeebruucee** **and** **KakaLove** **for their kind words about the last chapter. You guys are the best!**


	25. We Found Love

**Hello, lovely readers!**

 **I am so nervous about this chapter because I wanted to get it right. So many of you have been excited for this one so I wanted it to be as good as possible. I hope I've managed that.**

 **It was originally way longer as I paired it up with the big Authority battle. But I figured that Dean and Renee needed their own little chapter, so I split the long chapter into two shorter ones. It reads much better this way anyway, and it keeps this story going for a little longer hehe.**

 **So enjoy!**

 **This chapter is named after 'We Found Love' by Rihanna**

* * *

Dean Ambrose's Point Of View

Lily grabbed my hand and rushed me through the crazy maze of the building. I wasn't sure where she was leading me but she seemed urgent, like our final destination was important.

What I didn't understand was why we were delving deeper and deeper into the building? This was Authority territory; we should be heading for an exit not deeper inside where it would be harder to escape. I tried several times to explain this to her but she ignored me, dead set on getting where she needed to.

"Lily, where are we going?" I tried.

"Somewhere," she replied.

"Not fucking helpful," I said sarcastically.

"Sweetheart, the exit is the other way," Roman tried.

"We aren't heading for the exit," she said as we turned another corner.

"The Authority will know by now you're here," Seth said. "We need to leave."

She held my hand tightly, and stopped once we reached a large wooden door.

"Rollins is right," said John as Lily tried several keys in the lock. "The other team we brought will be in the midst of a fight right now. The Authority know we're here. We need to get you to safety then help the other team out. We don't have time for this."

Lily looked up with fire in her eyes, glaring at her brother. "John, shut the fuck up! I don't care what's going on elsewhere. I came for her and I'm leaving with her. Dean needs to see this!"

 _Hang on… Her?_

Finally finding the key she wanted, she opened the door, a creaking noise filling our ears. A staircase lay beyond it. John, Neville and Cesaro stayed at the top in order to keep a watch out so the rest of us all slowly made our way downstairs.

There was less urgency about her now, her steps gentle, her movements quiet. A large cell with steel bars lay in the room at the foot of the staircase. Lily took the keys again, gently unlocking the door and opening it. Finally she looked at me, Roman and Seth looking at her with as much confusion as I was.

Her face was bright, her smile large.

"Just be gentle and cautious, okay?" she explained. "She's been through a lot so she's very timid and frightened right now."

My eyebrows furrowed, my face looking at her as if she were insane. "What are you talking about? What's going on, Lily?"

"Just do as I say," she said, pushing me into the dark and damp cell.

I glared at her, but her hand gestures encouraged me to go further in. I sighed, just doing as she said for an easier life. Lily had some stupid plan up her sleeve, so the quicker I humoured her and went ahead with it, the sooner we could get out of this place and get to safety. I slowly began looking around, seeing nothing in the darkness of the cell, not exactly sure what I was expecting to see.

"So what exactly am I looking for, Lily?" I asked, the sound of a gentle gasp coming from the far side of the cell, shrouded in darkness.

My body stiffened and automatically went on alert then, my Shield and special ops training coming into play. I noticed in the corner of my eye Seth and Roman react the same from the other side of the bars. I looked at Lily again, wondering what the fuck she was playing at here.

"Just go, trust me," she said.

I continued to look at her. Lily had never steered me wrong in the past, the girl was like my little sister and I completely trusted her. I had faith in the kid. So I turned back to the noise, slowly stalking towards it.

"Who's there?" I shouted out into the darkness, poised to attack incase anything should go wrong and this was not what Lily thought. We were still in The Authority building, and those slimy bastards knew no boundaries when it came to their enemies. It could be a trap.

I heard shuffling along the ground, a person moving in the darkness. I felt nervous, not knowing what to expect.

"D-Dean?" came a little and timid voice.

I froze.

I was paralyzed.

I felt numb.

I knew that voice. I'd know that sweet and beautiful sound anywhere.

I swallowed hard, hoping to god this wasn't a dream.

"Who's there?" I repeated again, my legs shaking with nerves, tears building behind my eyes with fear that the sound hadn't been real.

Movement was heard again, a body slowly moving itself out of the darkness and into the tiny drop of light the cell offered.

My legs gave way and I fell to my knees, my body feeling as if every breath had been knocked out of me.

Well, it had taken one long year, but it had finally happened. I wondered when it would happen and the day had finally arrived. I had gone clinically insane! I must have, I must have gone totally crazy because I could see Renee sitting across from me, gazing at me with those deep brown eyes and that stunning smile.

 _Dean has gone coo-coo!_

I swallowed as I looked at what my imagination had cooked up for me to look at… another way to torture me no doubt. She looked just as I remembered her. Graceful, beautiful, stunning, gorgeous. Her hair was its usual disarray but she had purple under her eyes and cuts across her skin. She looked tired, weak, fatigued.

I leant back against the wall of the cell, closed my eyes... and shook my head, trying to get this image to leave, no longer wanting the hurt and pain it was bringing me. I shook and shook and shook, not wanting to be tormented anymore, hitting it off the stone cell walls.

"What are you doing?" came her soft voice.

"Trying to make myself sane again," I answered, opening my eyes to see her still sitting there.

"Sane? What are you talking about?" she said as she approached me, using all her strength to reach me.

"This isn't real, this can't be real. I can see you sitting in front of me, but I know you're missing, you're dead, so my only explanation is that I've gone crazy," I said, closing my eyes and shaking my head once again. My voice was laced with panic, my eyes fighting to keep the tears back.

This was fucked up, insanely fucked up. It had to be some Authority trick. Maybe it was another form of torture for them to give me and screw me up as much as possible. She had to be an actress dressed up as Renee, or perhaps they'd given me a drug so I'd hallucinate and see her. I hadn't seen her in over a year, one long and terrible year without the woman I loved by my side. She was gone, she was dead, The Authority had gotten rid of her, and now the sick bastards were using her to get to me.

I suddenly felt her hand rest on my knee and I stopped my movements.

"Love?"

I gasped, my eyes shooting open to see the stunning creature in front of me. Even in her tired and dirty state, I'd never seen anything so beautiful in all my life.

Her touch… it felt so real, almost as if she was in the room with me, almost as if she was in front of me. And then it hit me hard, just like a tonne of bricks. There was no other explanation for it. She was here, she was in the room with me. Lily had said there was something I needed to see and that something was Renee. She was here… She was with me… It was not my imagination… She was as real as the nose on my face… My Renee.

Cautiously, I raised my hand and ran my fingers across her cheeks, feeling every inch of her skin, each line, each contour, each bump. She was icy cold… but perfectly real.

"Oh… god…" I whispered as reality dawned.

Renee was here…

"Dean?" she whispered, almost as lost and confused as I was. Neither of us could believe this was real.

"It's me, Renee," I replied. "It's me."

She practically leapt into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck, holding on as tight as humanly possible. I cradled her in my lap, almost afraid to let her go. The tear ducts finally opened up and I wept like a baby in her arms, not giving a shit that my brothers could see. I buried my face in her hair, kissing every inch of the top of her head.

"Dean, it's you!" Her voice was laced with pure love.

"Is this real?" I begged. "Please tell me it is. Please tell me you're here because this will kill me if it's all made up."

She chuckled as she pulled my face back to get a better look.

"Does this feel real?" she asked as she kissed my forehead. I nodded. "How about this?" She kissed my cheek and I nodded. "Well, how about this?" And with that she brought her lips to mine.

I held her face in my hands and kissed her with a years worth of built up passion and adoration. Oh, how I had missed these lips! I kissed her and kissed her and kissed her, letting her know how much she had truly been missed.

It was odd, but as I kissed her, it was like she hadn't been away. It all felt just the same as ever, almost like no time had passed. But I still held her as tightly as possible, hanging onto her incase reality turned back into a dream and she disappeared again.

We pulled away and Renee rested her forehead on mine, our breathing heavy.

"Yes," I said. "That felt real."

She was mine and she was here. I finally had my Renee back.

* * *

 **A huge thanks to** **sebastianm101** **, calwitch,** **KairiAnneYukari21** **,** **Tantoune** **,** **KakaLove** **and** **Lilygirl95** **for their lovely words about the last chapter.**

 **Sorry this chapter was a touch shorter than my usual ones, but I felt the reunion needed its own chapter to get the full affect of it. Hope that was okay.**

 **Don't forget to keep the reviews, follows and favourites coming!**


	26. Battlefield

**Hello, lovely readers!**

 **After that lovely sweet reunion of the last chapter, its on to the final battle. Lets see what happens…**

 **This chapter is named after 'Battlefield' by Jordin Sparks**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

Tears built in my eyes as I watched Dean and Renee together, their love filling the entire room. I'd never seen two people so in love before, so obsessed with each other, so blessed to have been reunited.

I'd done it. I'd managed to do what I promised him I'd do in the cabin all those months ago. I said I'd find her, I said I'd bring her back to him. And I had. He held her in his arms, looking at her as if she was his entire world. I knew his world was complete now, he finally had the one thing he'd wanted all along.

I'd never seen Dean Ambrose look so happy and so blissful in all my life.

I wiped away my tears, Roman putting a loving arm around my shoulder, drawing me to him, resting his chin on top of my head.

"You did good, baby girl," he whispered to me. "You did good."

"I've never seen him smile like that," I commented, watching as the grin never left his face.

"This has been a struggle for him," Roman explained. "Not only has he got his woman back, but this marks the end of the worry, the anxiety, the effort of living without her. He has his life back now."

"I'm glad," I smiled, hugging Roman close, watching the two lovebirds, all of us blissfully happy…

That was until a loud alarm suddenly began to sound, flooding the room and filling our ears.

"What the fuck?" I asked. "What's that?" I glasped my hands over my ears to try and lessen the painful noise as it rang loudly.

"It's the fire alarm," said Seth. "I don't know what's going on upstairs but something isn't right."

We heard movement behind us, John suddenly appearing, full of urgency. We all looked to him. "They're close," he explained. "Shit is going crazy up above. We seriously need to move now."

Without hesitation Dean scooped Renee up in his arms and we all rushed up the stair case. We met John, Cesaro and Neville at the top, and began making our way out of the winding maze of corridors. We could hear the commotion from upstairs even though we were deep in the cells.

"I hope you brought enough reinforcements," Seth said as we made our way through the cells and up to the main part of the headquarters.

"Yeah we brought enough," said John. "Let's just hope they can do their job."

I gasped as we finally made it upstairs to the brunt of the fight, my eyes widening as I took in the sight before me. Blood, gore, devastation everywhere I looked. Fires burned brightly, furniture was destroyed and the rooms were falling apart. I didn't exactly know what John's reinforcements had done whilst we were down in the cells, but it had made one hell of an impact.

They all said they had wanted to destroy The Authority, and they were doing just that.

It was a full on war.

"Stay close," said Roman as he held my hand tightly. We maneuvered our way through the ruined building, our vision blurred by the smoke that had begun to build. Beams were dropping onto the floor below us, walls and frames collapsing as fires took them. It was like a complete war-zone, bodies lying motionless on the ground, rooms utterly obliterated.

"We need to get Lily and Renee to safety," shouted John over the loud commotion as Renee began to cough from the smoke. "Then we can split up and help out."

I looked to my brother. "No! I don't wanna get to safe place, I want to help you guys!"

"You're getting to safety," said Roman sternly, looking at me deeply, completely agreeing with my brother.

"No, I want… Ahhhh!"

I screamed as my leg was suddenly grabbed from behind. I fell to the floor with a loud thud, my head turning round to see Triple H with his hand around my ankle. He looked as if he had been within the brunt of the battle, his suit torn, cuts on his face and blood staining his usually pristine white shirt. It was crazy to see the leader of this massive organisation looking so weak and vulnerable.

He looked pissed.

"No you fucking don't," he growled as he pulled me up to face him, his hands grabbing my arms so tightly I was sure he would leave finger prints. "You're the whole reason this is fucking happening, you little bitch! I'm not letting you get away that easily."

I struggled in his arms, trying with all my might to get free. His grip was insanely strong, panic rising quickly within my body as the heat of the fires caused my body to sweat and my head to hurt. Thankfully a superman punch to the face caused him to let me go quickly.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!" Roman yelled at the top of his lungs, pushing me back out of harms way.

"You bastard," seethed Hunter, rubbing his jaw. "You're gonna pay for that!" He launched himself at Roman, the two embroiled in a battle of fists, throws and flips.

"Roman!" I yelled as a punch was thrown at him, hitting his cheek. I went to run to help him, Seth grabbing me to stop me, pulling me against him. "Hey! Let me go! Let me fucking go, Seth!"

"Get her out of here," Roman shouted to Seth once he had Triple H on the floor. "Please."

"No, I'm not leaving you," I cried, fighting Seth away until he let me go. My legs powered to run to Roman but once again Seth was faster. He caught me easy, taking me up in his strong arms and throwing me over his shoulder. "NO! ROMAN!"

"I love you," the Samoan shouted as Seth began to run.

Seth carried me away, my tear glazed eyes watching the man I love slowly disappearing from my vision.

No, this couldn't happen. It just couldn't.

I beat my hands furiously against Seth's back in an attempt to make him let me go, but it was futile. He had me tightly and he was getting me away from the danger. He'd gone into his special-ops mode, and no amount of protesting on my part was going to stop him getting me to safety.

I couldn't leave Roman like that. I couldn't leave him fighting on his own in a burning building. I refused to let him sacrifice himself in order to let us escape. I had to get to him, I needed to help him and protect him just like he would me.

The alarm suddenly sounded differently, Seth turning to look at John and Dean, all three with very concerned looks on their faces. Seth turned to Dean, a look passing between them that made my mouth run dry. As ex-Authority members, I could tell from the looks on their faces this new alarm was bad... Very bad.

"What does that mean?" asked John.

"It means the place is gonna blow," said Dean, his voice shaking.

WHAT?!

No! It couldn't... Roman was still back there… He was still fighting. We had to get to him first and then make our escape. We couldn't just leave him there to die.

"Put me down!" I yelled, screaming till my throat was sore, coughing through the smoke. "We need to go back and fetch him."

But Dean and Seth shared a look between them that told me everything I needed to know. They weren't going back. And it wasn't because they didn't want to. It was because Renee and I needed to get to safety. It was because there simply wasn't time. It was because Roman would want me alive and would rather die himself than see anything happen to me.

"I'm so sorry, Lily," Dean said as they set off once again, maneuvering around the debris and ruins of the headquarters.

No…

I yelled my protests the entire time, fighting to be free like never before, screaming till there was no air left in my lungs.

It couldn't end this way, it couldn't…

The exit was finally in sight and we all left the building, John's army filtering out through the many doors and windows of the building. Compared to the hot inferno of the headquarters, the cool air of outside hit us like a slap in the face, all of us taking deep breaths now the smoke was gone. They continued to run, getting as far away from the building as we could. Once we were a safe distance, Seth finally put me down.

It was a big mistake because the second my feet hit the ground I took off running, fighting to pump air into my lungs in order to move faster.

"Lily!" Seth shouted, chasing after me.

I didn't stop, I continued running to the fire stricken building in front of me.

It looked terrible, flames seen through every window, smoke blasting through every door. It had once been a grand building, tough and sturdy. But now it was weak and falling apart, slowly falling under the destruction of the fire.

Tears slid down my cheeks as I fought to get to him. The building didn't frighten me, nor did the fire or black smoke. The thought of losing him terrified me far more. I would not let anything happen to him, I would not let us be parted in this way. We would not be another Dean and Renee, ripped from each other in such terrible circumstances.

I was going to grow old with Roman, marry Roman, have his children. We had our entire lives in front of us, and I refused to lose him due to sacrifice…

And then it happened.

The sound was deafening, the blast knocking me onto my back, the building completely exploding.

Seth finally reached me, crouching down, covering me and protecting me from the heat and any debris that could reach us. I closed my eyes, curling into a ball so as not to be hurt, the warmth of the fire covering my skin like a blanket. We were close enough to feel it but far away enough that we were safe.

I finally stood up, looking at the horror in front of me.

My heart stopped…

My breathing stopped…

My world stopped.

… No… Please no…

The destruction, the ruins, the rubble… The building was completely gone.

"ROMAN!" someone screamed at the top of their voice, the sound heartbreaking, shattering, devastating. I didn't even realise the voice was mine till I dropped to the floor, a mass of sobs and screams, my throat burning as shrieks and cries left my mouth. I fell to my knees, unable to stand any longer. I knew the impact would have hurt my knees, but my body was too numb to feel it.

Seth grabbed me in his arms, cradling me into his lap as I cried, trying his very hardest to calm me. Tears streamed down his face, his own heart as broken as mine and I knew he couldn't console me. He could hardly console himself so what use was he to me?

He was gone… My beautiful Roman was gone…

He was no more…

Dead…

I felt numb, like it was all a dream, as if a part of me was refusing to accept it had happened and that I had not just witnessed the building my boyfriend was in had just been blown to pieces.

My heart tore itself into a thousand pieces as I watched what was left of the headquarters burn, knowing the only man I'd ever loved would never be seen again. I'd lost him, I'd never see him again. He'd paid the ultimate price for saving me, and I wanted nothing more in that moment than to simply die so I could join him.

I couldn't stand it.

A life without Roman wasn't a life worth living.

I didn't care that we'd won the fight, I didn't care that The Authority had been destroyed in the blast and that I was now a free woman. None of that mattered.

What was the point of being free if I couldn't spend that freedom with the man I loved?

I buried my face in Seth's chest, my body shaking with sobs, my throats releasing shrieks and cries into the air as my fingers clutched at his shirt. I didn't care who saw me or heard me. I didn't care about anything anymore.

I only cared about one thing and he was gone.

I'd never see his sensational smile again. He'd never hold me in those big strong arms again. He'd never gaze down at me with those beautiful grey eyes again. He'd never kiss me with those soft lips or tell me that he loved me with that deep voice.

I'd rather have spent a hundred lifetimes with The Authority and suffered the pain and torture they'd unleash on me than feel the pain of loosing him.

He'd gone where I couldn't follow… And the thought of living my life without him destroyed me.

Seth held me tightly, letting me cry, but it offered me no comfort. My heart was well and truly destroyed, and nothing could ever fix it.

"Lily!" Dean suddenly cried. "Look!"

My head shot up at his words, my eyes looking towards the building. The tears had blurred my vision, but I could just about make out the silhouette of someone walking slowly towards us. They were tall and broad, clutching their arm and hobbling slowly, but definitely heading in our direction.

"Oh my god…" whispered Seth as I fought to wipe the tears from my eyes in order to see better.

I gasped.

My eyes widened.

My heart thumped wildly at the sight in front of me.

It was him… He was here… He'd made it out.

Roman…

I rubbed my eyes and looked again, making sure I wasn't dreaming. He slowly made his way towards us, my clear vision now seeing the cuts on his face and the blood on his body. He was injured and he was broken, but he was… alive…

"Roman!" I cried, my body suddenly finding a surge of strength, running towards him faster than I'd ever run before.

I needed him, I needed to be with him, I needed to touch him to make sure he was real. I needed to check I wasn't seeing things, to check the Roman Reigns in front of me was real.

Tears fell silently down my cheeks as I ran, my happy emotions finally getting the better of me. My heart twisted and my stomach jumped when he finally produced my favorite loving smile.

"Hi, Lily," he finally said as I stopped and stood in front of him, a heavy silence hanging between us.

I gently lifted my arm, stroking my finger tips across his blood stained cheeks.

Warm flesh, course beard hair, a tight jaw line… He had to be real.

"You fucking idiot," I cried before running to him and leaping into his open arms. "You absolute fucking idiot."

I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck as I held him as tight as I possibly could. He buried his face in my neck as he hugged me, my tears dripping into his hair, turning it from black to a deep shiny darkness. I couldn't stop sobbing as he carried me and sat us both down on the ground, his injured leg giving way. My body was still wrapped around him, refusing to let go. I kissed the top of his head, his cheeks, his forehead, his nose, needing to know if he was real or not. He'd been in the building when it exploded, he'd been captured in flame and smoke; I had to know if the man I was holding was my Roman.

"Is it you? Please tell me it's you."

I heard him chuckle. "Course it is, Lily. It's me."

"Oh god," I cried, joy and happiness flooding my body and setting me alight. I was full blown sobbing now, but Roman held me and comforted me the entire time. He rubbed his hands up and down my back and whispered gentle words into my ears. "I'm here sweetheart I'm here, my love."

I whimpered as I released my legs from his waist so that I could straddle him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Lily," he smiled, softly stroking my hair,

I crushed my mouth to his, our lips moving furiously. I poured every loving emotion I had into the kiss, showing him my adoration and total devotion to him. I'd almost lost him, he'd almost died, but he was here, he was alive, and I wanted to kiss him as if it were our last. He kissed me back with as much fervour, wrapping his hands in my hair, slipping his tongue past my lips. I simply let him, I'd let him do anything he wanted.

He was real and he was mine… Mine all mine.

We pulled apart and the rest of the group finally joined us, their smiles as wide as mine. He let me go as Dean launched himself at his brother, Seth joining him, the three of them embracing in a hug only they could share. I looked at them, a smile on my face.

They too almost lost one of their own, a friend, a brother, a loved one. This was as heartbreaking for them as it was for me. So for the three of them to be reunited after such a scare was one of the most touching things I'd ever witnessed.

"Don't you dare fucking scare us like that again!" Dean yelled.

"We thought you were dead!" Seth added.

They pulled back and I lightly brushed my fingertips over the cuts along his face, completely lost and confused. "I don't understand… How… How did you…"

"I gave Triple H a spear and the rest was history," he said. "I left him lying there and ran as fast as I could. I made it our just before the blast. I was pretty close when it hit, and it threw me to the ground, hence the hurt arm. But I made it." He stroked my cheek, a smirk appearing on his mouth. "Did you seriously think I could leave you like that? I was getting out of there no matter what."

"Oh, Roman!" I cried, throwing my arms around him yet again, holding him to me tightly, promising myself there and then I'd never let this man go again.

* * *

 **A huge thanks to** **sebastianm101** **,** **Tantoune** **, calwitch,** **KakaLove** **and Jakob for their reviews.**

 **Only the epilogue left to go now, guys ):**


	27. Epilogue

**Hello, lovely readers.**

 **A massive thanks to** **sebastianm101** **,** **Lilygirl95** **,** **angelsdee327** **, Jakob and Tantoune for their kind words about the last chapter.**

 **Here it is, guys, the epilogue!**

* * *

Lily Watson's Point Of View

"Where shall I put this box, Lily?" Roman called out to me.

"Uh… by the TV stand will be fine," I replied as I continued stacking the book shelf with the many books down by my feet. The shelf was almost full and there were only a few more books to go. I was grateful, I'd been at this for most of the morning! I'd never realised how many I actually had.

He carefully placed the box down where I had told him and stood back up, stretching his arms, letting out a breath.

"That's nearly all of them," he smiled.

"Thank god," I said in relief. "What's in that one?" I pointed to the box that he had just put down with visible curiosity. I tried to lift it, but epically failed. "Jeez, it weighs a tonne!"

"Just my weights," he smiled. "I was thinking of turning that second bedroom into a gym."

I loved how he'd already planned what to do with the spare room. He'd have to fight me for it as I wanted to turn it into a guest room.

"Okay, well bring in the rest of them and put the box of plates in the kitchen," I told him as I continued filling the book shelf.

"Will do," he said as he left through the front door, heading down to his car. I smiled to myself and carried on with my job.

Today was moving day, a day that I had been dreading and excited about all at the same time for weeks now. Roman and I were finally moving into our own place. Considering it was just the two of us living here, I couldn't believe how much stuff we had. It wasn't just the furniture, it was the personal things too, like Roman's gym equipment and all my books. The two bedroom apartment was already small enough, and our things were only giving us less room. But I didn't care, this place was perfect. It was just mine and Roman's - our safe little haven and I couldn't be anymore pleased with it.

After the time we'd spent in Vegas, we'd realised it was somewhere we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. And since The Authority had been completely destroyed now, we were no longer in danger by staying there, so it had been both our first choice of where we wanted to set up a home. It was also a massive bonus that our apartment complex was just down the road from Dean and Renee's building, so we were still close to our friends.

Dean and Renee were finally getting back on track. She'd been in the hospital for a few weeks after everything that had happened, Dean being cautious with her due to all the shit The Authority had put her through. She had been malnourished, weak and generally ill. Dean hadn't left her side the entire time, staying at the hospital every chance he got. Thankfully she made it through everything fine and the two of them got home in one piece.

I'd never seen Dean so happy before, and he was genuinely pleased to have her back, especially since none of us thought we'd ever see her alive again, Dean least of all. But she had been and the two of them were reunited, never to be parted again. This was fully confirmed a week after Renee left the hospital when Dean proposed. She, of course, said yes, and the two of them are due to be married later next year.

I couldn't be happier for them. If anyone deserves happiness after everything The Authority put him through, it's Dean.

Seth was doing rather well too. He'd moved into Dean's building in an apartment of his own, and we often all met at Dean's place for dinner. Dean had asked both him and Roman to be joint best man at the wedding next year, so that always put a smile on his face.

His feelings for me were something that was slowing dying away. After the way I acted and the way Roman acted during the destruction of The Authority building, he knew we were meant for each other, and the last thing he ever wanted was to break something like that apart.

Though introducing him to one of Nikki's friend had also helped him too. Her name was Paige and he'd been on several dates with her. If I was honest he seemed rather smitten with the little British girl and she rather liked him too. Seth deserved a little love in his life and I couldn't be happier for him.

John was reluctant to let me move to Vegas at first. He was being his usual protective self, not wanting his little sister to leave Florida. But then he realised who I'd be with. There were no greater protectors for me than The Shield, not that I'd need protecting now The Authority were gone. So he agreed to let me go if I promised to visit him and Nikki every other weekend.

"Are you almost finished with the books?" Roman asked me sweetly, breaking me from my musings.

"Almost," I said. "Just one more left." I picked the last book up out of the box and placed it on the middle shelf.

"Done?" he asked.

"Done," I replied happily.

"Good," he said contently. "Because I've been waiting to do this all day."

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to mine in a heart melting kiss. I smiled against his lips and moved to deepen the kiss, threading my hands through his magical black hair, tugging on it a little. He tightened his grasp on my waist and pulled me closer, sending delicious shivers down my spine. Lord, I would never tire of Roman Reigns!

We eventually pulled away, only for breath.

"You know," I started, breathing heavily. "You didn't have to wait to do that Mr. Reigns."

"Well perhaps I might carry on then, Miss Watson," he replied, giving me that beautiful grin I adored. This however only spurred me on and I crashed my lips once again to his. Our lips and tongues moved in perfect sync and I groaned when Roman suddenly picked me up bridal style. This caused me to break the kiss and give him a confused look.

"I have been lugging boxes around all day," he explained, his grey eyes sparkling beautifully. "Now all I want to do is spend some quality time with my beautiful Lily."

That made me blush, his words always did. I would never get used to them. They caused butterflies each and every time.

"Are you going to be okay carrying me like this?" I asked. "Your leg still isn't fully heeled."

"Nothing is gonna stop me carrying my girl to the bedroom," he winked.

"I love you," I whispered.

He smiled. "I love you too."

I grasped him tighter as he carried me into the bedroom, kissing my lips lovingly, closing the door behind him.

I would never regret everything that had happened to me throughout my life; I had to take the good with the bad. If everything hadn't happen, I would never have met Roman and my life wouldn't be as amazing as it now was. Sure, my life had been rough and full of depression and disappointments over the last few months, constantly on the run, constantly living in fear that I'd be taken, not to mention almost losing the love of my life. But when I wake up each morning and see his beautiful smiling face looking down on me, his eyes full of joy and love, then I know it was all worth it.

I loved Roman and I would spend the rest of my life with him. I knew I would marry him, have his children and grow old and grey with him. Our life would never be as exciting as it was at the beginning of the relationship, but I didn't want it to. I just wanted to be safe and happy with him and spend the rest of my life with an amazing boyfriend.

And if I were honest… that's all I could ask for.

My best friend…

My Shield…

My Roman…

* * *

 **And that's all, folks!**

 **I have bloody loved writing this story! Since it was my first venture into the world of WWE, I was very nervous to even start it. But it has been so well received and you have all loved it, so that's all I could ever ask for. Thank you to every last person who has reviewed, favourited, followed or just simply read this story. You have all spurred me on and encouraged me to keep writing it. So thank you.**

 **As for a sequel, I have no current plans for one. I am more than happy to let this be a stand alone story, especially since I'm working on other fictions at the minute. But never say never, so if I do happen to have a dash of inspiration in the future for a sequel, I won't hesitate to begin writing. But for now, there are no plans.**

 **Don't forget to check out my other fic, 'Catch Your Breath.' It's a Dean Ambrose focused story and I am loving writing it. It's so much fun. I also have a plan to write a Seth Rollins focused story very very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that.**

 **So that's it. Once again a massive thank you to my lovely readers for keeping this story going. I love each and every one of you.**

 **Rachydoodle xxx**


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